How to Befriend a North Korean
by KaylaBow
Summary: They're two nations who are similar, yet different. They both split into separate countries, associate with China, and their government is a bit on the wacky side. Malaysia is very friendly and patient. But no matter how good she was with people, there is just no possibility that she could be intimate with someone as menacing and stubborn as North Korea... right?
1. The Train

**I wanted to create a well-written story for once. Everything I ever wrote was shit because I never planned how to write it, and I didn't know how to write. But I actually know how to write and know how this is gonna go from beginning to the end so this should be good :) And it'll reveal stuff about my OC's so yay.**

 **Dsiclaimer: I only own Malaysia and NK. That's all tbh.**

* * *

Malaysia was an idiot.

A stupid, forgetful, idiot.

The night before, she had went over to Japan's place to talk about economic policies which resulted in her throwing chairs at him across the room and shouting curses. Just the usual politics.

But she was stupid, oh so _stupid_ enough to stay the night at his place since it was too late to go back to her hotel room. This resulted in her sleeping in and Japan leaving a note, saying it would be too rude of him to wake her up and left to go to the world meeting _without her_. She guessed this vulgar attitude arose from Japan when she _accidentally_ mentioned his brutality from his World War Two days.

It's not her fault Japan made fun of her foods. Because _no one_ makes fun of the way she creates her brown rice.

And Malaysia should've known to never trust any nation who could betray you at any given moment. After what happened with Singapore, she tried to push all her lost and hopeless feelings into the back of her mind. But sometimes her old feelings resurface and they get out of hand. That's why she doesn't like to mention or even think about Singapore. And that's also why she shouldn't trust Japan, or she now calls, _'a two-faced butt head'._

She ran frantically around the village Japan lived in panic. She knew this part of Japan did not have any cabs, nor buses to hop onto. She was going to be late to the world meeting, and get yelled at by England and Germany. Malaysia could handle Germany-

But being yelled at England reminded her of bad times. Really bad times.

Malaysia politely asked a villager if they knew how to get to Tokyo within an hour or so. Thankfully, the villager could speak moderately well English and told her about the train stations. She apologized for wasting their time, thanked the villager, and sped off to find a train she could ride onto.

After buying a ticket for entry and speed-walking to her destination, she finally found the correct train that would take herself to Tokyo. She stepped onto the cart, feeling slightly envious on how clean and tidy the area seemed to be in comparison to her own stations. Malaysia sat herself in a nearby seat.

Feeling uninterested by the scenery from the windows, she scanned the area of the train. Malaysia found only a handful of people on the bus. But one passenger in particular made her feel irked. It was a man, who looked somewhere in between a teenager to a young adult. He had one curl stick downwards from his head. And his eyes were cast down on a book he was reading. She gulped to herself.

Malaysia riding a train with North Korea.

Their relations were good. She could travel to his country without a visa and they trade goods time to time. But their relations as one on one, she never spoke to him. He would always make a huge fuss in the meeting rooms, bragging about his nuclear weapons developing quite nicely. And America would slip up a comment about his famine problem while eating a burger. This resulted in a lot of nations trying to hold North Korea down from beating up America.

But outside a meeting, she would glance at a lonely Korean quietly trying to hide himself from the crowd, then Malaysia would turn away.

So he was a mystery. Malaysia only stared at him from across the train cart as he read his book. He never looked up from it, but when the train stopped, he looked up and saw the person who examined him the entire time. Malaysia unknowingly held her breath as she saw the North Korean's facial expression slowly turn with a blank to a curious intention.

Malaysia bolted from the train cart as fast as she could. Was it embarrassment from staring at him the whole time? She didn't know. But what she also didn't know was that she had sped off so fast, her wallet had fallen to the ground.

North Korea looked at the wallet with a deadpan stare. Then he picked it up, and put it in his pant's pocket.

That was the beginning to their relationship.

* * *

"Oi. Big sis. He's been staring you down since the meeting started." Indonesia whispered into Malaysia's ear. Malaysia turned around to see the said Korean, glaring at her from his seat. She could mentally see the vicious aura coming off of him. "Did you do something to piss him off?"

"N-no..." Malaysia lied. She wondered if it was because she was staring at him earlier on the train. This made her feel very jumpy and anxious inside.

Germany then started off the meeting with discussing North Korea's nuclear tendencies. North Korea said no comment to every single question thrown at him. And the whole room erupted into chaos. Then suddenly it wasn't even about North Korea anymore. England and France were at each others throats over Eurovision, Vietnam gave the middle finger to China, and Sealand broke through the window again to try and gain access to the meeting. Malaysia even pondered why she bothered to come to these things again.

When the meeting was over, North Korea went up to Malaysia. She didn't know how to handle the situation, and tried to play it as calm as possible.

"I, uh..." North Korea tried explaining, but he was tongue tied. Malaysia looked down to the floor to not make any eye contact. Indonesia decided to barge in and wrap her arm around Malaysia's shoulder.

"Hey! I heard there's a new food place around here. Wanna grab something to eat?" Malaysia found Indonesia's plan to be extremely rude, but spluttered out a stuttering yes before walking out, leaving North Korea by himself.

This left him alone with one thought;

 _'How the hell is she going to pay for that then?'_

* * *

The next two weeks for Malaysia had been suspenseful.

She lost her wallet. Malaysia had searched up and down for it. And even accused Japan of stealing it to provoke her. And with the remaining money she did have in her pocket, she couldn't afford a cab to go to the meeting anymore. She had to ride the train cart with North Korea every single day. She always blasted music into her headphones to avoid talking to North Korea, and sat in the farthest corner of the train.

Whenever he tried to talk to her after the meeting, she always made up excuses for herself to run away. Malaysia wasn't like this. She's usually friendly and laid-back. But the Korean always intimidated her to the point where she would shiver at the mention of his name. She found him to be scary and thought he was nothing but trouble. So she only watched him from a distance.

One thing she analyzed on the train with him was he always either read a book with a plain red cover on it, or stared outside the window. She noticed that you could easily see through the red cover, and underneath it she saw a South Korean book. She wanted to tell him that it could be easily seen, but Malaysia chose to keep her mouth shut.

But at one point, North Korea did get to talk to her. It was after a meeting, and everyone had gone home. The only people left in the room were herself and North Korea. She felt herself sweating through her clothing as he walked up to her.

"This belongs to you..." He said in a soft, calm voice. North Korea pulled out the wallet she had lost over two weeks ago from his back pocket. She took it from him quickly, and opened its contents to see if anything had been stolen. She found everything to be in place, and gazed back up at North Korea who had been examining her the entire time. He then pushed back a strand of hair from his face sheepishly, "I found it when you left the train. You didn't want to talk to me, so it was a little hard to give it back to you."

Suddenly, Malaysia felt a pang of guilt for ignoring him the past several weeks. She found him to be creepy and freighting, but he truly did have good intentions.

Malaysia was next to speak, "Oh um, sorry about that. I was being incredibly rude to you and all... But I do have something to tell you also." North Korea stopped twirling his hair with his finger and looked back at her with a curious gaze. "I know you read South Korean books. Your book cover is thin enough to see through easily." Then North Korea's cheeks flushed lightly and he turned away from her in embarrassment.

"O-oh. Thanks for telling me."

Feeling horrible for misjudging and embarrassing the Korean for weeks, Malaysia had an idea to make it up to him. "Do you want to grab some lunch with me now? I'll pay."

His face immediately lit up like a light bulb. She noticed he might've been slightly drooling and stared up in a long thought. It made her feel better to see him "happy" and not so stoic as usual.

She motioned her hands towards herself, "Well let's go." North Korea nodded and they went out of the room together.

* * *

Malaysia was silent as North Korea stuffed his mouth with all the foods on the table. She didn't know how to react and only stared at him. It looked as if he hadn't eaten in days.

North Korea noticed her gaze and stopped eating so quickly. He swallowed up the food in his mouth in one gulp, and wiped his face with a napkin. "Thanks for the food," He said to her.

"N-no problem." They sat in an awkward silence. Malaysia always tried to be friendly towards people. She was just that kind of she didn't want things to be as awkward as it is. So she tried to strike up a conversation. "What type of books do you read?"

"... whaftft?" North Korea asked with his mouth full. She resisted the urge to face palm and told him again. He swallowed the food, and shyly looked to his side. "I read stuff about South Korean culture... like what holidays they celebrate or what food they eat." North Korea also read many books dedicated to his leaders and military, but found it wasn't necessary to tell.

"Really? I thought you would try and pry information out to spy on South Korea-" She stopped herself, _'Crap I said that out loud.'_

"I was, in a way." North Korea twirled his hair strands around his finger.

Malaysia didn't know what he meant by that, but decided not to push him into talking about it. Trying to keep up a conversation with the isolated country, Malaysia then remembered a dish from South Korea she ate a while ago. "Oh! I remember a Korean food I had eaten before. Have you heard of kimchi?" Then she saw North Korea'a face light up in an almost eager fashion. She felt his ego boost up several levels as he began talking about his favorite food.

"Of course. That food is my only joy in life," North Korea put a fist to his chest and closed his eyes dramatically. Malaysia looked away and held in her laughter by holding her hand over her mouth. The Korean stopped his pose and turned to her, "What kind of food do you eat?"

"Well..." Malaysia smiled while thinking about her favorite dishes. She loved the diversity of her country's food courses. Rice and egg combinations were one of her favorites. She told him her most special ones, and it looked as if he was paying really close attention. She felt happy that someone loved food as much as herself, and couldn't stop herself from rambling on about the dishes. Malaysia should've known that talking about food was going to be their key topic in their conversations.

After paying for their meal and leaving the restaurant, they walked to the train station together to get to their own hotels. Malaysia went behind North Korea as he walked in a calm, but steady way. They sat on a bench to wait for their cart to come by. They hadn't stop talking about food, and Malaysia began to make a promise for him.

"I'm going to make you some of my famous dishes tomorrow."

"What?" North Korea questioned, raising an eyebrow. "Really?"

"Sure. I love making food. And I want to apologize for being so rude to you these past few weeks." Malaysia gave him a soft, heartwarming smile. His face flushed in a flustered way but he still held his emotionless demeanor with his face, and kept it void of any sentiment that might've come up.

They aboard the train together, but Malaysia had to hop off her stop before North Korea. She waved him goodbye, while he nodded in recognition. She left the cart with a small grin on her face. She hadn't had company other than her family for so long. And even then, it wasn't as enjoyable as this was. She was really fond his presence.

She hoped it was the same for him.

* * *

 **I feel the need to ship these two with all of my heart. I don't know why, but I do.**

 **Characteristics;**

 **Malaysia: Friendly, calm, shy around unfamiliar people but very welcoming! She's a simplistic gentle soul and nice individual overall. She's a bit overwhelmed by other people but tries her best to get along with everyone. Except in politics, fuck everyone else in politics. She has very strong opinions and expresses them in a powerful way. She's very honest and accepting of others, and she's super patient with them too.**

 **North Korea: Looks intimidating and scary but is actually timid, quiet, and lonely. He's depressed and alone but hides this by pretending to be boastful and proud. He doesn't get too close to people, but if he does it means they're VERY special to him. But his paranoia gets in the way of making long, lasting relationships. So he's socially awkward, but hides those feelings behind a mask to not embarrass himself.**

 **Feel free to review, follow, fave this story if you truly enjoy it! :)**


	2. The Friendship

**I'm coming up with chapters so fast because I love this story. Lol.**

 **Dsicalimer: I own shit OC's and stuff but not Hetalia.**

* * *

"Hello," North Korea let out a small mental shriek inside his mind and turned around to see Malaysia smiling up at him. She held a small bundle in her hands and felt a warm presence lingering around her. He coughed almost uncomfortably and put his hands in his pocket. North Korea felt a small blush going across his cheeks and he looked to his side to not let her see his flustered face.

The world meeting was usually held in a country for about one to two months. They had been getting along recently over the past couple of weeks, and she would even consider calling North 'a friend'. Sometimes North Korea would be on the train first, or it would be Malaysia. But Malaysia would always find some way to try and talk to the isolated country, train or no train. This terrified him, but also made North Korea extremely happy inside.

"H-hey..." He greeted back softly. He gazed down at the small bag she had with a curious intention. North Korea questioned, "What's inside?"

"Oh. I made us both breakfast. I thought it would be nice." She sat down on a seat, prompting North Korea to do the same. Malaysia opened it to reveal two containers of brown rice with some boiled eggs, roasted peanuts, anchovies, and a sauce North Korea couldn't define. She gave him one and waited patiently for him to eat it. He didn't want to admit it, but he found it almost funny that she was looking at him so eagerly.

She watched him in anticipation, waiting for his reaction on her favorite dish. North Korea examined the food carefully, trying to see if it looked suspicious in any way. He finally decided that she was probably not the kind of person to kill someone by poisoning them, and used the fork she gave him to have a small bit of the foreign, unfamiliar food.

Then he stopped breathing. North Korea swallowed what was inside his mouth and stared into the abyss, with a detached facade. Malaysia then stopped smiling and began panicking. She patted his shoulder very lightly, not enough to hurt him but enough to wake him up and give North Korea a reality check.

"Korea?! KOREA!" He then suddenly awoke from his phase and shook his head. He turned around to see a hysterical Malaysia asking him if we was alright. He found this to be very humorous. But North Korea resisted the strongest urge to smile at her.

Because smiling meant he felt comfortable around her. And she'll become a friend. Then the friend would get tired of your shit and leave you. Don't make friends, a Korean lesson.

He decided to tell the truth, "This was the best thing I ate in a long time."

She got very flustered and giddy. Malaysia sheepishly rubbed her hand behind her head and giggled softly at the compliment. "Well, my dishes are the best in the world." Malaysia liked to be praised on her cooking skills. Then she bombed him with questions on what foods he would like to eat. Malaysia gave him many interesting options, and North Korea found it very hard to chose from.

Walking out of the train cart and the station, Malaysia and North Korea walked on the sidewalk to the meeting conference with a calm atmosphere around them. Malaysia finally went beside North Korea instead of behind, and talked to him.

"Sorry for talking about food so many times. I never got to ask you about what you wanted to talk about." She apologized, stopping their pace. North Korea peered at her and then huffed softly.

"Don't apologize. You love cooking as much as me. You shouldn't be sorry for talking about something you love." Malaysia turned around and looked up at him. As always, he had a blank face. No smiles, or expression shown at all. He continued, "Frankly, I would rather talk about dishes than talk about myself about what I like. We already do that in world meetings anyway."

"What do you like?" Malaysia asked. North Korea held a calm composure, with his brown chestnut eyes gazing down on her.

He looked away, almost as if he was remembering something. Quietly, he said his favorite thing to do, "I like the fine arts." Then he walked off without another word. Malaysia wondered what kind of fine arts he liked. Then she silently walked with him.

She didn't look up to notice North Korea tugging onto the ends of his sleeves.

* * *

Taiwan had just got out of a convenient store with all her new Japanese CD's and manga. She smiled profoundly of herself, thinking how good an idea it was to waste her government's money on her own self indulgences. She counted all of her things to make sure it was all in place, before swinging the bag of goods over her shoulder and glided over to her car.

While was sitting in her driver's seat, eating some green tea flavored Pocky, she saw two very familiar faces walking the streets together. Taiwan nearly spat out her favorite snack.

She wondered what the hell were North Korea and Malaysia doing together? Suddenly, she remembered from all her years of knowledge from Asian dramas to BL doujinshi's on what this could mean. Since they were side-by-side and it was probably intentional, she guessed they were friends. A mischievous smile played across her lips. Or maybe it could be something more?

Amused, she watched silently as Malaysia smiled at something North Korea said, while crunching on her Pocky sticks.

* * *

China felt highly annoyed by how all the countries were still fighting each other, and the meeting hasn't even started yet. He had to stay in Japan's country for two damn months while he had to endure it for _this?_ All China wanted to do was go home, and cook rice. Maybe even watch some Hello Kitty marathons that night.

Did I say maybe? That was a mistake. He _is_ going to watch Hello Kitty marathons all night.

Feeling bored, he stared absentmindedly at the window. China felt a suddenly rush of energy burst through him. Almost as if he... _sensed something_. While thinking of it, he found Malaysia and North Korea outside, going into the building. He then knew what he felt.

 _Sibling senses._

He adored them both like his own family. They even called him older brother at one point. But at one point in time, they stopped. Malaysia became less upbeat and more soft-spoken. The kind, honest soul from North Korea just withered and died somewhere during the early 1900s. He truly missed them. But he'd never guess that those two lonely people would ever get along.

They went through the meeting doors, side by side. The two went unnoticed because of the ruckus going on in the meeting room.

Because of China's curiosity and his desire to be surrounded by family, he went over to them. China was behind the two, and said a soft, "Ni Hao." Both of them jumped up a bit in fear, then North Korea and Malaysia squeaked in terror. They both turned around with defensive hands, and China just laughed. "How are you guys doing?"

"I'm okay." Malaysia shrugged. North Korea just scoffed.

"Why are you being so friendly? I thought you were too busy kissing South's ass recently." He muttered, putting his hands in his pockets. Malaysia noticed how his voiced cracked a bit at the end of that sentence. And just how _bitter_ it sounded.

Malaysia heard over the past couple of years that the relationship of China and North Korea have been shaky. With North's new nuclear activities and stunts, it looked as if China didn't want to deal with him anymore. It made her mad deep down inside of her for China giving up on North. China's smiled faltered slightly. "Aiya. Don't be jealous. I love you all the same!"

"What about England?" He asked.

China's face turned into an irritated expression. "He can go to hell." He spat. Malaysia mumbled to herself in agreement.

Then he smiled again. "So, enough about that bastard. Why did you two come here together?" China secretly hoped they were dating. It would be nice to make fun of them. And he thought they would make an adorable couple.

"Oh." Malaysia began to explain, "We both ride the same train together to get here. And he found my wallet, and we got to talk a bit more. So we're kinda friends." North Korea made a small 'hmph' under his breath. "Why do you ask?"

"I just thought you two were dating." China smirked. It satisfied him to see the red on both of their cheeks rise, and both individuals shouting loud curses at their elder. It was always fun to tease his siblings feelings sometimes.

"WHAT THE FUCK WE'RE NOT!" North Korea shouted frantically, looking flustered and quite cute to China.

Malaysia folded her arms and scoffed, "Why is it that people always assume a guy and girl are dating because of how close they are? Sickening." China started laughing at their flushed faces and shouting. This was the best he felt in a long time.

But they all went quiet when Germany started taking control of the noisy room. So the trio had to sit back down in their assigned seats. China grabbed North Korea's wrist to put him into the seat next to him, but North Korea pulled away very quickly and winced, almost as if he was in pain. Malaysia just turned around to go to her seat.

Malaysia had been placed next to Taiwan, who was sneakily stuffing in some shrimp chips in her mouth. Malaysia noticed this, and watched her gorge on her tasty snacks. Then Malaysia licked her lips, wanting to have a taste of them.

"Can I have one?" She whispered to her, making Taiwan jump a little in surprise. She turned to see that Malaysia was the one who asked. Taiwan quietly said 'sure' before handing her a decent sized chip. Malaysia took the piece and analyzed it for a moment, then put it in her mouth.

While munching onto the treat, Taiwan eyed the woman. It took a while, but when Malaysia was done with the chip she finally caught on to Taiwan's staring.

"What?"

Taiwan spoke softly in a hushed voice, "Are you dating NK?"

"What?!" Malaysia shouted a her soft voice still. This gave her the attention of a few nations, but she ignored them. "No. Why do you ask?" She said, trying to regain her laid-back composure. Taiwan giggled before returning to her troublesome behavior.

"I kinda saw you two going to the meeting together-"

"Taiwan and Malaysia! Will you keep private matters actually private and not during someone's talking time. It's rude and disruptive!" Germany called out on them, trying to listen to Greece's insane plan to get cats to rule his economy.

They both blushed in unison, apologizing before talking even quieter this time.

"We just ride the same train together and happen to become friendly along the way. That's just it." She explained the the Taiwanese girl. Taiwan then eyed her even more closely.

"Hmm. Seems suspicious to me. NK isn't one to make friends easily. How did ya persuade him?"

Malaysia answered quickly, "We talked about food and I took him out to dinner."

"Ohhhhh. That makes much more sense now." Taiwan realized. Then she snickered, "I can't believe the girl payed for her man's own food. So original. I love it!"

"Taiwan and Malaysia!" Germany yelled again. "This is your last warning! Or you'll be sent out of the room for the rest of the day." Taiwan shrugged, not caring about Germany's authority. She wasn't one to follow the rules.

Going back onto what she said, Taiwan sighed. "But seriously, I think you guys would be really cute together. And I'm so impressed that you were able to break through his walls like that. I haven't been able to do that since..." Taiwan's eyes glistened for a moment before wiping away any tears that might've came out. "Well. A really long time. I hope the best for you two! I believe that you might be able to make him happ-"

"MALAYSIA AND TAIWAN! STAY OUTSIDE UNTIL THE MEETING IS OVER SO I CAN HAVE A TALK WITH YOU BOTH!" Germany's voice boomed throughout the entire room. Italy made a small cry behind him because of it, and Japan had to soothe him quietly in the background. Taiwan and Malaysia walked out, ignoring the long awkward stares they felt behind them. They just didn't care, at all.

Taiwan put her arms over her head and whined while Malaysia sat against the wall. Taiwan complained about how loud Germany was, or how she wished Japan would hold her closely like he did to Italy. Malaysia honestly didn't give a crap, but she listened for her sake.

A small pregnant pause went in between them when Taiwan stopped rambling about her recent problems. Taiwan bent down next to Malaysia, and scooted herself next to her. Malaysia usually never felt awkward, but she think this counted as an exception.

"... You won't hurt Hwan Soo-oppa, right?" Taiwan suddenly asked. Then Malaysia had a confused expression on her face.

"Who's Hwan Soo-oppa?"

Taiwan laughed quietly, "That's his name. But everyone calls him North or something like that now."

Malaysia mentally reminded herself to have his name memorized. Then she shook her head, "I don't think there would be any reason to. If I do it though, I will apologize." Taiwan smiled to herself, and hugged her knees.

"Good. There's been enough people in his life who hurt him already. Sorry if I freak you out or anything, but like, I don't want some sleeze bag to hurt someone important to me!" Malaysia cringed when Taiwan said 'sleeze bag'. "But, thanks for being there for him. Don't tell him I said this though, because my government kind won't let me."

"Sure thing." Malaysia shrugged. Then finally, a comfortable silence was exchanged between themselves.

Germany then came back from the meeting to promptly scold the two girls for their 'idiotic behavior' and how he'd have to call their leaders about it. Taiwan tried to bribe the German with some Chinese candy but he roughly declined the offer.

After Taiwan bid her farewell and ran off to scare Hong Kong, who was too busy looking at cosplay online from his phone to even notice her. Malaysia had gotten separated from North Korea but that was okay, since she could meet him at the station.

Thinking back to what Taiwan said, it made it pretty clear that North Korea is very... very lonely. Taiwan looked as if this was the first time she had to talk about him to someone. Which it probably was. Malaysia understood why no one liked him. He was short-tempered and intimidating. But once you got to know him, he's a great person to be around. He's so quiet, but so full of himself. He tells the most horrible jokes, which makes her laugh out loud. And he's got the most sarcastic tone she's ever heard on her life.

She realized how much she appreciated him as a person Not because she pitied his country or anything, but for who he is. Malaysia thought about what Taiwan had told her, and said her thoughts out loud.

"Hwan Soo... what a nice name."

* * *

 **I kinda like how this is turning out! This is the first story I ever planned till the end and I'm loving it already! I do hope I create this the way I want it to be. This will be fun.**

 **Also the breakfast dish North Korea eats on the train is a Malaysian thing called 'nasi lemak'. I heard Malaysians love it!**

 **Characteristics;**

 **Taiwan: A nosy, fun-loving, outgoing girl! She looooooves drama and watches from the sidelines while everything falls apart. I think she's the type of girl who is really good at telling what a person is feeling. In this case, NK and Malaysia are friends but she senses something more! But is she right? Who knows lmao. Also** **she really cares about her family, so she pretends to be some protective older sister. It's nice.**

 **China: Cheerful, wise, and quite the family man! I headcanon him to be the mom friend of every group, teasing them and making sure they're okay. He loves and cherishes all of his siblings. He's really upbeat but sometimes, he gets melodramatic on how fast the world goes by.**

 **Remember to stop by to review, fav, or follow this story! Have a nice day!**


	3. The Cuts

**This chapter is based off of a thing from an anime I watched. I'll tell you more when you reach the end of this amazing ass chapter like holy shit this is great.**

 **Disclaimer: Hetalia is not owned by me, but the amazing Himapapa.**

* * *

 _Ding dong._

Malaysia waited at the door for North Korea to come out. After a couple minutes of waiting, she pressed on the doorbell again to try and get him to open the door for her. She could do this all day. Malaysia is a very patient woman.

After that chat with Taiwan, Malaysia was determined to get to know more about North Korea. He was quite reserved, and only spoke about food recipes or destroying capitalist scum with his nuclear weapons. He never liked to talk about himself as a person. She wanted to get to know about Hwan Soo, not just North Korea.

So the week after the conversation, Malaysia woke up early to go over to North Korea's hotel room and surprise him. She had to pry some information on his location from Germany though. It was very hard to get it, but she started a talk about dogs and stole his notes while Germany wouldn't stop talking about his own pets. She wanted to have a friendly discussion while eating some breakfast together. She started to daydream about him fawning over her food, and North Korea babbling about his hopes and dreams.

She then snapped back into reality by shaking her head. Malaysia knocked onto the door, and her eyes widened in shock as the door creaked open.

 _'So it is open.'_ She thought to herself. Malaysia knew tress passing was bad, but she decided to do it anyway. It was his fault for leaving it unlocked in the first place. She took a step inside the room, and closed the door behind her. She crept down the hallway, barely making a sound while doing it.

There was a small kitchen connected to the hall, and a little bathroom too. She guessed the closed door in the hallway was the bedroom. Malaysia searched in the kitchen to try and find any signs of North Korea or food supplies. What surprised her the most was food was almost non-existent in his household, excluding half a loaf of bread and a rotten cabbage in the fridge. Malaysia questioned why he would barely have anything to eat in her mind, but pushed it back for a little time.

The bathroom door was open, so he wasn't in there. The only other option left was the closed door at the end of the hall. Malaysia thought he might've been sleeping, but she wanted to sneak a peak inside first.

Steadily walking towards the closed door, she slowly grabbed the handle and turned it as softly as possible. The door creaked as she opened the door. Taking a deep breath, Malaysia took a small look inside. She saw her friend, putting on a shirt. His back faced her, so he had no idea she was watching him dress.

The reason she didn't close the door and invade his privacy was because of the slashes on his wrists. Malaysia stared at the long, deep cuts all over his arms, and some across his hips. And Malaysia found so many scars too...

"Korea?" The other immediately turned around, his eyes widened in shock as she opened the door without effort, walking into the room with a shocked gaze. He quickly puts on his coat, with Malaysia's mouth slightly parted. North Korea slowly walked towards her, with cold, venomous eyes. Malaysia tried to reach out to him, but he slapped her hand away coldly.

"Get the fuck out." He angrily whispers. She's never heard such a dark, low tone in her life.

"Korea, you're hurt. Let me help!" Malaysia desperately tries to reassure him. "I-"

"I DON'T NEED YOUR HELP!" He yelled at her. She flinches away from him as his bangs cover his eyes darkly. Malaysia stands up, but doesn't move away. North Korea gazed up at her, with eyes filled with so much hate. Because he saw so much pity in her eyes.

Malaysia felt herself almost tearing up at the sight. "What h-happened?"

North Korea also stands up, avoiding eye contact. He covers his slit wrist with the edge of his sleeve. She found herself staring at the motion, making North Korea shift uncomfortably. "Cooking accident." He said plainly. Malaysia choked up a little. He then used her shock to his advantage, and pushed the girl out of the door and slammed it shut before locking it. She felt horrible.

She had nothing to reply back to that pathetic lie.

* * *

The next couple of days were awkward between them. The roles have now been reversed. Whenever Malaysia tried to talk to him, he would shut her out completely. On the train, he would read in the corner of the cart surrounded by people. And after a world meeting, he would run out the doors before Malaysia would even have a chance to speak to him.

China and Taiwan noticed the drastic change in their relationship, but said nothing about it. Malaysia would've asked them about it, but decided it was best to only talk about it with North Korea only.

At the world meeting, Malaysia would sneak small glances at North Korea, who only yawned as he watched Canada talk about politics and maple syrup. He looked normal. Malaysia thought he did a really good job at pretending to feel nothing. It truly did look like he was okay.

But he wasn't.

"OKAY!" America shouted excitedly, pushing his northern brother out of the way to go into the spotlight. "Now we have to count the money for financial emergencies. It should be rightttt..." Everyone in the room watched as the blond dug one hand in his suitcase, searching for the cash. When he finally reached out of the case, nothing was in his hand. "... dude. What the hell." He tilted his head in confusion. He made a small laugh, "All right. Funny joke guys, who took it?"

The nations glanced at each other, but no one fessed up. America scratched the back of his head, "Welllllll... this is awkward."

"Are you sure you didn't forget it at home?' Canada quietly said behind him. America shook his head.

"Nah. I checked just before the meeting. I should know, I left my hamburger right next to it!" A couple other countries try to stifle their laughter as America doesn't notice them. America then puts his hands on his hips, then huffs. "Someone in this room is a thief! All right who was it? WAS IT YOU CHINA?!" America proclaimed, pointing a finger towards China's direction. The elder rolled his eyes in disbelief.

"Why the hell would I do that?"

"YOU'RE ALWAYS YELLING ABOUT HOW I OWE YOU MONEY!"

China scoffed at the claim, "Yes, I do. But I came into the meeting late with Ivan- I mean Russia. So I couldn't have been there to take it. Yeah, cased closed." He then folded his arms and stuck his tongue out at him.

Everyone looked back at America, who seemed deadpanned from his first culprit. Then America hit his forehead and sparked up another idea. He pointed at Australia. "Okay pal, it was you!"

Australia and everyone else in the meeting looked at the American in a confused matter. "Oi mate, why'd you say that?" America snapped his fingers, and rested that hand under his chin afterwards to show confidence.

"You were mad at how amazing my performance was in Eurovision and I didn't even compete! And you lost to Ukraine, so it could only fuel your anger! And hey Ukraine, you did amazing. That song about Russian assholes touched my heart, love ya." America made a small wave towards the European nation, who smiled and waved back.

Australia shook his head, "I couldn't have done that mate! Everyone saw me give marmite to Sealand and I had to carry him all the way over to the infirmary. Non-aussies can't handle it ya know." A couple other countries nod in agreement. "So it wasn't me." America sighed, wanting to find out who took the money already.

Then at the corner of his eye, he found a lonely Korean, not looking at anyone. He seemed quieter than usual, and he avoided eye contact by staring at the floor. Malaysia thought she heard a crack in her heart as America's gaze slowly went towards North Korea.

"It's gotta be someone poor," He slowly began. North Korea felt chills down his spine and hesitatingly looked up, finding everyone's gaze was on him. America didn't smile or laugh but held a stern glare, "Was it you, North?" He shook his head. America pretended not to see his answer, and seemed to be determined on his final culprit as the answer. "North is probably the one who could've taken though," Malaysia began to get angry, _'That brat!'._

"I suggest we all check everyone's bag. The money could be hidden in any of them." Japan suggested. America then beamed at the Asian nation.

"Good thinking Japan! Everyone, start checking your bags!" Many nations groaned, but started to do so to clear themselves innocent.

Malaysia checked the contents inside her own bag, but didn't find an envelope of cash hidden inside. She then told America, who wrote down her name in a little notepad he held in his hand. She wondered if they would ever find the money.

"Ah. Here it is." replied North Korea, who calmly held up the sealed envelope. His eyes didn't seemed fazed as many people in the room gasped. The room exploded into many voices. America grabbed the cash away from him and pointed at him.

"T-thief! THIEF!" He began screaming. Malaysia felt something inside of herself boil up. She became crossed at the words America shouted into her friend's face. And the hushed whispers from the crowd, agreeing with America's claim and calling North Korea rude things. _'Of course it was him. Who would it be?'_ they said. _'He's a poor, cold-hearted country that cares for no one.'_

North Korea mumbles something in the collar of his shirt. America asked him to speak up, and North Korea lifts his head out of his collar slowly, repeating his words bitterly. "I didn't take it." He spat. America looks at him, unconvinced.

"Yeah right! You're super poor! And it was in your bag! I was right, North is a thief! Fess up and face the consequences!" Suddenly all Malaysia could hear were dark voices, taunting North Korea. _'Ah what a liar.'_ she heard. _'It was so obvious though!'._

North Korea gazed down at the floor, not saying anything else. Malaysia let herself lash out, watching North Korea's emotionless eyes made her feel like he didn't deserve any of that. And everyone else was so unfair to him. He pretended not to care. He just... accepted it. But she wasn't going to.

"SHUT THE FUCK UP!" She yelled, her voice booming across the entire room. Everyone stopped ridiculing the North Korean and turned to her. She didn't feel sorry at all. "I DON'T CARE IF HE'S POOR OR HUNGRY! HWAN SOO WOULD NEVER STEAL FROM ANYBODY! I KNOW HIM AND HE ISN'T LIKE THAT AT ALL!" She heard a faint gasp behind her, and she looked behind her to see North Korea staring at her in disbelief. Her face softened as North Korea broke his emotionless state. Then she turn back at America, who looked as if he was going to cry.

"You know, anybody could've planted that in his bag." China thought out loud. He looked back at America, "It wouldn't happen to be you, right? After all, you do have this weird-ish hero complex. So maybe you created this problem to fix it. That's maybe why you began pointing fingers at everyone for no damn reason." America hiccuped, feeling at lost about what to do.

With the awkward and tense atmosphere rising, Germany coughed and raised his hand. "Alright, that's enough for today." Everyone shifted uncomfortable glances towards each other before sluggishly moving out.

Malaysia and North Korea stared at each other for a very long time.

* * *

North Korea was the first to speak. His lips parted, and she finally saw emotion behind his eyes. It was astonishment.

"I-i didn't need your help..." She never saw him in this light before. He looked as if he didn't know what to do or how to respond. But she knew what to do.

"But I wanted to," Malaysia softly smiled at him. She made her way towards him, his pretty almond eyes gazing up at her. She stood in front of him, making herself taller than him while he sat flabbergasted in his seat. Malaysia spoke in a calm fashion, "Because I care about what happens to you. You are my friend after all."

And she swore she saw his eyes shine when she said that.

"But why didn't you stand up for yourself? You usually call people out for being on your case in meetings all the time."

North Korea glanced to the side, "Because no one would've listened. No one _wants_ to listen anyway." Malaysia shook her head, then promptly put both of her hands on his chin. He blushed furiously at the gesture, but didn't move it away.

"I would've listen, dummy." Malaysia smiled. North Korea then pushed her hands away and crossed his arms out of embarrassment. Malaysia only giggled to herself at the motion.

North Korea then slowly put to hands back to his side. "Do you want to eat at my place?" He suddenly offered, looking down at the floor. She then put a hand to her chin, and made a playful grin.

"No. Because I wouldn't know what to do with a rotten cabbage and a flimsy loaf of bread."

North Korea glared at her, but she saw it was merely a face of childish bickering. Then North Korea inhaled, before glancing back up at her. "Oh yeah. Let's go to the super market." North Korea stood up, and motioned her to follow him. She gladly went behind him, walking out of the meeting doors together. He suddenly stopped walking, then turned to her.

"Can you stop doing that." She tilted her head in confusion.

"Doing what?"

"Walking behind me," He said, putting his hands into his pants pockets. She then gradually went towards his side, chuckling then he refused to look at her but at the floor. They then walked together, finally by each others side, to the food market.

They didn't see another Korean staring at the two from afar.

* * *

After buying ingredients and having a nice long train trip from the train to his hotel room, North Korea and Malaysia strolled together. It was around evening when the two finally came back. There was a nice breeze coming through them, and the sound of nature was soothing in a way. They never felt more at peace.

"By the way, what did you buy anyway? You wouldn't let me look." Malaysia said, slipping out of her shoes and into the almost condo-like structure. North Korea smirked.

"You'll just have to wait and see."

Malaysia had to wait on his small table. She wasn't usually this impatient but she was very curious about what he was going to make for the both of them. She heard the stove turn off, and found herself looking back at North Korea, with two plates in his hands.

"I made some kalbi. Eat it or starve." He placed the plate of food on the table or her, before sitting down in his own seat across from her. Malaysia gazed down at the food in front of her. It was Korean ribs with chopped green onions on top. On the side was a bowl of steaming, hot white rice. She found it to smell and look good, and she felt North Korea stare at her intensely to find out what her reaction will be.

She picked up the rib and ripped it into one piece, then took a bite out of it. She found herself speechless. All she could do was place the piece of food in her mouth while North Korea wiped his face with a napkin.

"Damn this is good." She began gobbling the kalbi down while North Korea just closed his eyes and made a 'hmph' sound. He was proud of himself.

After they both finished their plates and North Korea put it in the sink, Malaysia waited for him to come back. He then sat in the seat in front of her, and gazed at her.

"...Thank you for earlier." North Korea suddenly said, making Malaysia look up at him. He gazed at her with shining eyes, "I can't remember anybody standing up for me like that."

"Actually, China did that a lot for you a couple years back," She found herself saying. Her eyes widen in shock, _'Crap, I said that out loud'._ But despite what she said, North Korea shook his head.

He started, "No. He did that for politics. But it's been so long since someone has done that to me because of who I am-" Then he stopped himself mid-sentence and looked back at her with a curious gaze. "By the way, how did you know my name? I haven't told anyone in years."

"Taiwan mentioned it to me one time," Malaysia answered. North Korea made an 'ah' sound before eating another piece of food from his plate. She then smiled. "So- Korea is actually Hwan Soo? That's a very nice name. I like it. My name is Damia if you wanted to know." Then she hesitated for a moment for finishing the sentence again, "Maybe... we can call each other it." North Korea stops eating and turns to her.

"But we only call each other by our real names if we're close."

"Uh huh."

"We're on good terms, but we're not _that_ close yet."

"Uh huh."

"And getting close means we have to get to know each other..." He huffed before putting a hand on one side of his cheek. North Korea had a sudden look to his face that made Malaysia want to squish his cheeks. He then looked back to her, "Do you want to know about me?"

Malaysia smiled, "Yes. I would like to very much."

North Korea nodded, "Alright." He set aside his chopsticks and faced Malaysia, his hands knit together out of habit. "I'm Im Hwan Soo. I used to play instruments and draw. And I would love to nuke some capitalist ass right now, I'm extremely bored." Malaysia laughed out loud and North Korea seemed proud of his answer. "Your turn."

Malaysia started to explain herself, "I'm Damia binti Muhammad. I love a calm atmosphere and cooking my favorite things. Though I find baking to be more difficult." North Korea nodded his head in agreement. "I like listening to music, though I don't play any instruments. And I... uh.." She found herself speechless. It's as if she had nothing else to say. Which she didn't.

North Korea and her had a moment of silence.

"... This isn't working. Talking about ourselves is really fucking boring." Malaysia couldn't help but agree to what he said. "... You know. I think I owe you an explanation about my cuts, if we're still gonna talk about ourselves." North Korea said, fiddling around with his fingers. Malaysia shook her head.

"There's no need to. You can tell me when you're ready." She then went into her purse and pulled out a slip of paper. She also grabbed a pen and wrote down her phone number, then gave the slip to North Korea. "Call me whenever you feel like doing it. It can be at like three in the morning or in the middle of a crowd. There's no limit."

North Korea accepted the paper, and twirled it around his fingers for a moment. "And maybe we shouldn't talk about ourselves all at once. It seems a bit too... forced." Malaysia continued. "This can be a way for us to know about each other, piece by piece. Like normal friends do." Malaysia grinned and didn't expect the former latter to do the same.

North Korea held a soft, gentle smile. It was the first time he smiled in front of her.

"Yeah. Like normal friends do."

She wondered why she felt butterflies in her stomach the entire time.

* * *

 **DAMN THIS WAS SO FUCKING CUTE. Wow that was too aggressive achem okay. Take two.**

 **Damn this was so fucking cute.** **Okay much better.**

 **The first two scenes are kinda based off this one episode from the anime 'Erased'. Most of my inspiration is based off of other animes actually. The first chapter is from an anime that shall not be named. Because DAMN I get war flashbacks just thinking about it. The second is just a transition from their friendship, so not really influenced by anything else. The next chapter, I'm actually kind of unsure about. Probably gonna reveal more about the Korean stalking them because they seem kinda mysterious lmao. Also Malaysia's name... they say in Malaysia a full name is first name/binti (daughter of)/fathers name. Since she's a country who doesn't have one, she goes by Muhammad.**

 **But I'm going to answer the really nice reviews I got since I didn't expect to get any.**

 **NekoRyuuKo: That's really nice of you to say! I thought it would be great to write a story with something involving him since North Korea is a pretty interesting (but dark) country. I always had a unique interest of that nation overall.**

 **Aki: Thank you for a lot of that information! I'm not Malaysian myself, and I tried my best to research the country. I guess I kind of missed some parts. I feel like there aren't many articles I could understand with Malaysia and Singapore, since they are two countries that get missed a lot by the media (in my personal opinion). I'm a little to young to try and know the full story, but I'm trying my best! I thought Singapore kind of "left" Malaysia and she got really mad over it. I guess their is more to the story. I'm an idiot for not looking more into it, sorry!**

 **However, I will rewrite future scenes since I got new information. I'm gonna have to look up more things to understand Malaysia more, since she _is_ our main protagonist. I was going to do that in later chapters, but knowing more information than necessary isn't bad. I kind of have that "Malaysia hates Singapore because he hurt her" dynamic from Tumblr, but that's kind of stupid getting it from there. Now I'm gonna go with "Malaysia acts like she's okay with him around but she's secretly bitter towards the relationship they _could've_ had." And looking it up, I can see it was mainly their governments that had a problem with each other. Well, there is more information to discover! At least she isn't a stupid tsundere from what I usually see. I hope I''m gonna get her background right in the near future!**

 **Make sure to review if you like it :D**


	4. The Loneliness

**This is my 'fan-service' chapter to you all lmao. You do get to see more of NK and Malaysia and it helps move the story along but... lol just read it and you'll understand.**

 **Also I drew a cute icon for the story since it really needed one. And if you want to see the rest of the pic, go on my art blog on tumblr it's called 'asiantalia'. And if I'm still advertising, go on my main blog 'kaylabow' for more!**

 **EDIT: I had to modify a small part in the chapter regarding the 'bed scene' because I kinda made Malaysia break a rule in Islam. Oopsy daisy.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Hetalia but two blobs of OC's.**

* * *

South Korea received an interesting text message from Taiwan later that evening.

 _'Bobacutiez: omfg yong soo ur bro and malaysia totally hooked up'_

 _'DaKpopKing: no f-ing way dats tru u liar'_

He scoffed, not believing his younger sister for even a second. North was just too lame to hit on someone like Malaysia.

Then Taiwan sent a picture of Malaysia and North Korea together, side by side. South Korea raised an eyebrow, finding it strange how his twin was around someone so social and... normal.

 _'Bobacutiez: haha gimme credit tho actually i had to hide in the bushes for dat shiz'_

 _'DaKpopKing: ...'_

 _'DaKpopKing: they could be friends ya kno'_

 _'Bobacutiez: bruh no. i saw them and they gave each other the look. like the ones those ppl in kdramas fallin in luv at first site'_

 _'DaKpopKing: no way gasp'_

 _'Bobacutiez: i mean honestly yong soo u blind or something'_

 _'Bobacutiez: mala yelled her ass off in the meeting for him. she screamed him not stealin money bc every1 was on his case. it was so scary tho. i was gonna p my pants'_

 _'Bobacutiez: but srsly. she cares a lot about him. and since that walk in the park is probably consensual (she woodnt kidnap him for dat liek lol can u imagine), he probs appreciates her too. its rly nice to kno that ur older bro is doin ok and not planning how to nuke other countries'_

 _'DaKpopKing: he still prob does that tho'_

 _'Bobacutiez: whatevs'_

 _'Bobacutiez: look yong soo what im tryin to say is'_

 _'Bobacutiez: ur bro is gettin laid by a hot asian chick'_

 _'Bobacutiez: i mean have u seen her she lookin fine af'_

Then Hong Kong broke into the conversation.

 _'XxxFireworkMasterxxX: yong soo meimei im gonna kick your ass if you talk about them behind their back'_

 _'XxxFireworkMasterxxX: DONT HAVE A CONVO ABOUT 2 PPL I KNO FUCKING EACH OTHER'_

 _'Bobocutiez: shut the f up lil bro ur just mad about not gettin laid like our good bro hwan soo oppa'_

South Korea then thought it was about time to get out of the chat for a while. Taiwan and him should've talked privately instead of the group chat, since he wanted to know more information without getting yelled at on a screen. He turns off his phone and sighs, holding his phone close to him as he goes deep into thought. He still didn't know what to think.

He sat in a bench on the balcony of his rental condo, watching the sun set as he ate some pepero sticks.

"Why is she even friends with him though?" He says out loud, munching on a chocolate stick. Pepero was a chocolate covered cookie stick with almonds on top. People would say how Korea just copied Japan's pocky sticks. South Korea says fuck you to those people though. His pepero sticks are better! JAPAN IS THE COPY CAT! SCREW JAPAN!

The Korean shook his head, trying not to think about pepero but how Malaysia and North Korea became close to one another. It irked him to his very core. Usually he only felt this crossed when Japan when he refuses to admit he's wrong, or when North Korea announces how he's going to make another nuclear test (then fails). But this time it's different.

He feels weird in his stomach when he thought about it more. It's as if it was aching in pain. South Korea almost felt his heart stop beating. He remembered this feeling after Malaysia yelled across the entire meeting room, making the entire room fall silent. The only thing he could see was his own twin staring up at the girl from his seat in astonishment. It ticked him off, but at the same time, he was dejected inside.

South Korea made a poker face- pursing his lips together and staring blankly at the evening sky. Why was he thinking about this so much? Why was he so invested North Korea's life? Then a horrible idea struck him.

"Am I... JEALOUS?!" He shrieked. This can't be the reason! It can't be! Out of a fit of panic he grabs his box of pepero sticks and hurled them off the balcony. Then he screamed so loud, the entire nation of Japan could hear his voice.

And he did. In his nice, comfortable home, Japan felt a cold chill run up his spine and had to hug himself to calm down.

Also just a few blocks away, Singapore was just taking a stroll down the road for an evening walk. He didn't expect a box of Korean chocolate to hit his head. The box landed on top of his head, then bounced off to the side. Singapore fell to the ground from the impact, and rubbed his sore head in pain.

He found the candy, and picked up the box to see it was pepero sticks.

"Huh. South Korean chocolate sticks," He shrugged, then popped one of them into his mouth. "Life is like a box of chocolates, la."

Back to South Korea, the Korean fell to the floor in a daze, trying to regain his sanity.

' _There's no way I'm jealous! I don't even care about him anymore...'_ South Korea knitted his eyebrows together in frustration. _'He's not even in my life anymore. Why should I care? And how did he manage to find a friend so easily?'_ He then remembered how scool and suave his brother was when they were kids. While he himself was more energetic and welcoming, the elder sibling was calmer and accepting. _'Malaysia just felt bad for him. It's not like they have mutual respect for one another!'_ Then again, he remembered the longing stare held between herself and North Korea in the meeting room. He felt so much emotional tension come off from that one mutual gaze. _'I don't care.'_ But he did care.

"It's so unreal! Why does he have a friend? HE'S GROSS!" South Korea exclaimed, hugging his knees. He rocked himself back and forth, wanting to forget everything Taiwan said and what he saw at the meeting.

It boiled him inside to think about how close they got to each other. How she probably knows his secrets and feelings, or how North Korea might even smile around her. How he might even trust her more than _him._ Why can he do that with her instead of him? _Why can't they have that relationship again-_

He shook his head in denial, "It doesn't matter to me. I shouldn't even bother thinking about it. I'm so not jealous."

But he is jealous.

* * *

After a long conversation about how strange their government worked, they decided it was time to go to sleep. Malaysia walked into his room to find North Korea already creating a makeshift bed on the floor for himself. She furrowed her eyebrows together and bent her knees down to his level.

"Aren't you going to sleep on your own bed?"

North Korea shook his head, "You're the guest. You take it."

"But it's your room," She countered, offering the spot to him. "You take it."

"No you take it." He persisted, glaring at her. It was almost as if he was threatening her to take the bed or _else_.

"No _Hwan Soo_ , you take it."

"Dammit _Damia_ , take it or I'll _nuke_ you."

Malaysia sighed, then sat down on the floor and shooed his hand away from the pile of blankets on the ground. He stopped preparing the bed on the floor and turned to her. She softly patted his head.

"Calm down..." North Korea lightly blushed at the hand petting his hair. Malaysia did it to relax him but now she did it because his hair was just _so damn soft._ North Korea only let her touch his hair because it felt nice. But he wasn't _ever_ going to tell her that.

Still petting his head, she went deep into thought. She didn't want North Korea to sleep on the floor for her (no matter how sweet she thought it was of him), but she didn't want to sleep on a hard surface either. Malaysia turned to the bed and got an idea. But she wasn't sure if her religion would tolerate what she wanted to do or if North Korea would be okay with what she had to offer...

"You know, that bed is big enough for two people. Maybe we can sleep together?"

Her suggestion was met with a small cough, then silence.

She looked down to see the North Korean biting his lip and turning the other way sheepishly. She tilted her head in confusion, "Hwan Soo?"

"Huh?!" He finally snapped back into reality to then get embarrassed again. He hung his head low, "Sorry, I was just thinking about it."

"So...? What's your answer? I'm fine with sleeping on the floor if it makes you feel better," She said, patting North Korea's back in sympathy. Malaysia felt almost guilty. But for a strange reason, she was also somewhat satisfied by the self-conscious expressions he had. She found him to be... adorable.

He then waved his hand in the air. "It's okay! You're right, that bed is big enough for the two of us. We can both sleep on it... together."

"...I'm so sorry for making you feel awkward Hwan Soo."

"It's okay. It happens to me all the time."

Malaysia then helped North Korea off the floor and they started making the bed look nice. The Malaysian always brought a spare change of clothing in case she slept over at someone's place (which she did a lot), so she got ready in the nearest bathroom. North Korea stayed in his room to change into his own pajamas.

After they both changed, they sat on the bed together. Then Malaysia suddenly remembered something.

"Is it okay if I pray for a couple minutes?" She said. North Korea gave her a nod and she began to pray.

Malaysia is Muslim and she's required to pray five times a day. It was part of her daily schedule. But she wanted to be courteous North Korea, who wasn't religious in any form. It felt awkward for about a couple minutes, and even when she finished praying the silence in the room was thick and unsettling.

"You ready to go to sleep?" North Korea asked, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Yeah, I am. Thanks for letting me pray."

"No problem," He then turned off the lamp in the room, and Malaysia went under the covers. She let out a soft sigh, engulfing herself in the warm sheets. North Korea laid beside her with his back turned to her. He sat at the very corner of the bed, which gave her _a lot_ to give her space. It was as if she took over the entire area. She let out a small huff.

"Hwan Soo, you can move in closer you know." North Korea hesitated, but scooted in just a _little bit._ Malaysia rolled her eyes in the dark room. The window started to seep in some moonlight, which slightly brightened the room's presence. She sat up against the headboard of the bed to look down at the anxious Korean. "It's seriously okay. You've been too nice to me lately."

"I'm not nice at all," He mumbled, not moving from his spot. "I'm still a piece of garbage."

Malaysia then decided she needed to take drastic measures. She hated it when people tried to be overly polite towards her. It made her feel like they were neglecting their own needs for her. Then with a straight face, she lightly tugged onto North Korea's curl.

The reaction was immediate. He bolted up from the bed and fell on top of her lap with a thud. Even if the lighting in the room was dim, she could tell he was blushing madly and his eyes were half-lidded. North Korea panted as he slowly got up from the bed and faced her with a menacing glare.

"Y-you're so cruel..." He spluttered.

She chuckled. "I couldn't let you be _too_ nice to me. I'm the courteous one here."

Petting his own hair, North Korea asked, "How did you know about... this?" He pointed to his sensitive hair curl.

"Singapore has one. I used to pull on it all the time back when we were..." North Korea noticed how she trailed off, and stared at the wall, deep into thought. She gulped, "Well that doesn't really matter now. It was a really long time ago, so it's nothing important."

North Korea looked off to the side. "Doesn't sound like it's nothing."

"..." Malaysia regretted her explanation as she had created an awkward silence that neither of them wanted to break. Malaysia sighed and pulled the blankets close to her. She then laid down on her pillow. "I'm just gonna get some sleep. Night."

"Night." He answered back. North Korea also immersed himself in the sheets and Malaysia went to sleep, feeling the exhaustion had finally gotten to her. The two would sleep without any interruption... or so she thought.

In the middle of the night, she woke up suddenly from the feeling of being coddled. She felt two arms wrapped around her waist, and a soft bed of hair located in the nook of her neck. A leg was placed on top of her own. She could feel a warm breath on her back, and a light snore come from behind. Malaysia opened her eyes in shock.

 _'Hwan Soo is a cuddler?!'_ She mentally screamed inside her head. She didn't want to wake him up, but she felt so...

Actually she was quite comfortable in this position.

 _'This is so wrong! Incredibly wrong.'_ Malaysia felt the heat rise up to her cheeks. _'I knew breaking a law in my religion was bad. Now I'm gonna go to jail for sure! I'm sorry boss!'_

She carefully lifted North Korea's arm off her stomach and slowly moved away from him. She felt horrible for leaving him like this, but Malaysia couldn't handle it. No matter how comfortable and cute he was. It was wrong of her to enjoy the feeling. Malaysia grabbed her pillow and an extra blanket, then glanced back at the sleeping Korean.

 _'I'm sorry Hwan Soo. I cannot disrespect Allah like this.'_ She mentally cried to herself. She tip toed out of the room and made her destination towards the couch.

* * *

Malaysia had to deal with a very flustered and embarrassed Korean in the morning.

"Hwan Soo, it's okay. It's not like you hurt me or anything."

He shook her shoulders harshly, "IT'S NOT OKAY! WHO THE FUCK HUGS THEIR FRIEND IN THEIR SLEEP?!"

"I guess... you do." She said. He then stopped shaking her and lowered his head down in shame. "But hey I have to admit, you're a really good cuddler." Malaysia stifled a laugh with her hand as North Korea's ears turned bright red. "Is that why you were so reluctant to sleep in the same bed as me?" He nodded. She snickered, "You could've told me."

"Why should I?" He muttered angrily. "It doesn't matter now. You know one of my darkest secrets."

"Oh no. The horror."

"I CAN HEAR THE SARCASM IN YOUR VOICE YOU KNOW!" He then turned his head away and scoffed. "Whatever. It's not like I care or anything."

Malaysia stared at him blankly, "You are such a tsundere."

"What the fuck is a tsundere?"

"A Japanese term which means a person who acts tough and cold on the outside, but is kind and soft-hearted on the inside." North Korea looked at her as if she had two heads. She giggled, "Anyways, you don't need to worry about the hugging thing. It's okay, really. I should be the sorry one. I actually enjoyed it because of my sick, twisted mind."

"Oh..." He said quietly. North Korea looked as if he wanted to say more, but held himself back. Malaysia didn't really like it when he would keep to himself.

North Korea stayed silent. Malaysia gently placed her hand on his jawline, a few wisps of hair clinging onto it. "Hey, what wrong?"

"Nothing..."

"It doesn't sound like nothing." She said, mimicking his words from last night. He sighed, and became inaudible for a moment.

He took a deep breath before talking. "No matter what I do, I still can't stop doing it." He suddenly announced. Malaysia was about to say something, but he interrupted her. "I was just so used to having someone to hold when I was younger, so I can't break out of that habit. Even when I'm a fucking adult. I'm just so... clingy. It's so childish of me to still be this way."

"It's okay," She voiced softly. "It's hard to adjust when someone isn't around anymore." Malaysia remembered what to say next, and picked up where she left off. "...Because that someone was apart of your life. They've always been there. And now they're gone." He looked back at her with a fixed gaze "It's almost like losing apart of yourself... right?" He found himself staring at her in admiration.

"...Yeah, you're right."

"I mean," She continued. "It's difficult to be alone. It just feels like no one actually cares about you. You'd think, _'it's all my fault they left'_ because really there is no other explanation then that."

Then they held a long gaze, similar to the one they had in the meeting room from yesterday. She started to notice the way his lips were parted, and the small exhales he was making. Was she ever aware of how charming he was?

"...How do you know me so well?" He questioned after a while, gaping at bit at her own statement.

She snapped out of her thoughts to answer his question. "That's just how I felt when Singapore was forced to leave me. For a long time I was quite enraged. I thought there was something wrong with me since I was very hung up over him. But then I started to think it's okay to miss someone who isn't there anymore. " North Korea hesitated, but nodded anyway.

"He still means the world to me..." North Korea sighed, closing his eyes. He touched Malaysia's hand, but didn't pull her off his chin. "I want to hate him... but I just can't."

"Remember, it's okay." Malaysia smiled at him gently. "You know, I heard if you think about someone a lot, then that means the person you are thinking about you can't get you off their mind too." North Korea blushed, before looking up at her again. "Maybe they're not over you just yet."

"Are you sure that's what you heard? Or are you lying because you pity me?"

"No, no! I actually heard it from Indonesia one time, I'm not lying." She reassured quickly. North Korea chuckled a bit, getting amused at her panicked expression before continuing.

"...It's South Korea by the way, if you were wondering." He replied softly. Malaysia patted his hair and hummed.

"I kinda figured that out already." She smiled.

North Korea spoke again, "That's kind of why I would read those books about his country on the train." Malaysia nodded, telling him to keep going. "... He's partly the reason why I have so many cuts on my wrist." Malaysia dropped her hand to her side and instantly became cold, then stared at North Korea with a menacing, fixed gaze.

 _'I'll kill that Korean faster than he can say kimchi.'_

Almost as if he read her mind, he began making many hand gestures in the air to reassure her. "It's because I think about him too much. It's not his fault, okay?" Malaysia then dropped the hostile act to listen to what he had to say, but she still wasn't fully convinced. North Korea brushed a strand of hair away from his face. "I usually don't tell anyone this... so tell anyone and I'll nuke you."

Malaysia nodded again, "I figured that out too."

* * *

 **As you could tell, this was more of a 'bonding-ish' chapter. I thought this filler was kind of silly though, but I still like it. Malaysia used North Korea's weakness to ease her own desires... damn that was darker than intended. We also found out South Korea is a stubborn baby that misses his older twin. But the feeling is quite mutual, isn't it? Though my lonely Korean is more open about it to his new friend! Aw, I wish they would be happy. And we got to find out more about Malaysia and Singapore's relationship! Though it still seems kind of vague. I make it seem pretty mysterious... don't I?**

 **South Korea: He's the real mvp. He's cheerful, stubborn, and he has a lot of pride! This amazing boy hides all of his troubles behind a smile so he won't worry people. That doesn't mean his happiness is fake though. He always looks on the bright side of things, and he is quite childish sometimes. He has to pretend he hates his brother because his government forces him to. So he can never be happy with his twin sobs... but maybe someday they'll get along.**

 **I'll introduce Singapore soon once I get more information on his country. Now for the reviews!**

 **Guest: That's really cool! I wonder what that dream could be about? :0 Probably not about a nuclear country with a dark past and a calm nation who's pretty scary in politics though.**

 **Aki: Aw that's very nice of you to say. And yes, politics can make people quite monstrous in some ways. Durian's scent is pretty strong stuff. I tried it once, and regardless of the smell, I thoroughly enjoyed it! Also online, there are just a handful of articles that really explained to me why Singapore was forced to leave. I think I got the gist of it now. I'm really flattered you think it's impressive of me to research about this topic, despite me being young. I'm 13 by the way! And the Four Asian Tigers reference wasn't intended, but I realized I might have put it in there anyway lol. Glad you caught that!**

 **mimi-chan and aliling-chan: Haha, one time I made a headcanon on tumblr that Malaysia reads a book while driving. That comment reminded me of that. Since I'm still an amateur, it's gonna take me a while to become better. One day I'll get the flow of the chapters to run more smoothly! I put a lot of effort into researching and writing about NK and Malaysia. I'll use your advice and talk to some Malaysians, and maybe do some more research. I hope to see more of your reviews in the future.**

 **Understudy of Becky Two Shoes: Ahhh you're too kind to me uwu. I have an idea who you might be (considering you're one of my tumblr followers) but I shouldn't make any assumptions yet. You're too nice! :D**

 **Review please and thank you for your time!**


	5. The Hero!

**Yoooooooooooooooooo. Also you need to know a couple things about this chapter.**

 _Italics are for flashback._

 _Underlined Italics are for thoughts._

This is just regular writing.

 **Disclaimer: I don't own shit.**

* * *

Another thing Malaysia and North Korea had in common was that they both hated attending World Meetings.

For about two months, one of the country's would hold a meeting room where everyone would discuss their problems. Only in dire situations would they need to hold an emergency meeting. And another reason why they were held so long was to spend time with friends who live across the globe. The nations were suppose to go to these meetings on week days, but have the weekends off.

They both didn't like going for a number of reasons. North Korea loved his solitude in his own apartment, and hated it when America kept pressing the nuclear 'issue' onto him every time he went. He found it to be annoying and not worth his time. But the last time he didn't go to a meeting, the capitalist country himself broke into his temporary home to interrogate him. North Korea doesn't find it funny.

Malaysia disliked going because it brought out her dark side. Whenever politics were discussed, she would become a monster. She's very vocal about her opinions and whenever someone disagreed with her, she would lash out at them. She would become chaotic evil instead of true neutral. Malaysia liked to believe this trait came from England.

So the two weren't very eager to walk through the meeting room. They hesitatingly took a step inside, Malaysia looked down at the floor to avoid eye contact while North Korea stared at the wall. It seemed like their tactic was working.

But then a certain American spotted them as they strolled through the meeting doors. He started running to them enthusiastically.

"HEY BRO!"

And then again, the strategy wasn't always very effective.

A slap was placed on North Korea's back, and he yelped from shock. He glared at America, who was smiling apologetically.

America coughed nervously, "Can I say sorry for being really shitty to you yesterday? It was totally way out of line."

While Malaysia was taken back by surprise at his words, North Korea responded by rolling his eyes. "Can you apologize for being a shitty in general? Get out of the way you stupid capitalist."

The American cried out of guilt, "But I really am sorry! And there are no other words to describe how sorry I am. And if that's what you want, then I'm sorry for being shitty in general!" America then stepped to the side, moving out of his way. North Korea reacted by face palming at the action.

Malaysia watched uncomfortably as America touched North Korea's shoulder. After her loud protest against him yesterday, she felt incredibly awkward just standing close to him. But it wasn't like she was going to apologize for her behavior anyway.

And she didn't like how close he was to her friend.

The Korean shooed America's arm away, and dusted himself off. "I accept your pathetic attempt for trying to get on my good side." North Korea spat. When he saw America brighten up at his words, he continued, "That doesn't mean I condone or justify anything you do to me. Now go away before I start another hydrogen bomb test." America laughed and patted North Korea's head.

"I'm glad you forgave me! In the next meetings, I decided to try and be a little easier on you. Does that sound good or what?" North Korea raised an eye brow.

"Why the sudden change of heart?" He questioned. Was the stupid, pitiful capitalist pulling his leg? _'Whatever he is trying to get out of this, he won't get me to stop testing out my nuclear warheads.'_ North Korea noted to himself.

America then smiled softly, "Because some people pointed out to me how harsh I was being to you. And how I treat you isn't humane at all!" North Korea didn't expect to get this answer rat all, and stared at him skeptically. America waved them both goodbye, being oblivious to North Korea's suspicious nature. But before he left, Malaysia caught a wink from the American. But it was meant for the person behind her.

She turned around to see South Korea standing behind them with a blank face. He then walked through his counterpart and the ASEAN country to talk to America. From what she saw in the distance, they seemed to be having a very serious conversation. Both of the usually childish and cheerful nations became more... focused and poised in a way. When she stopped looking, she didn't notice South Korea kept staring back at her.

* * *

"Did you apologize yet?" South Korea asked. America nodded.

"Why wouldn't I? I still can't get your really deep lecture out of my mind from yesterday. You can be really stern when you need to be." America commented. "You must really care about your brother-"

"Nope. No. I don't care about him at all. Nuh uh." South Korea denied. He put a finger on America's nose and pressed on it, making a 'boop!' sound. "I just think it's really strange for you to act selfish like that. I talked to you for your sake." America slapped his hand away and put two hands on both of his cheeks, making the Korean very flustered at the approach.

He snickered, "Aw come on Yong Soo. After what happened yesterday, we both know that you love him deeply." America sighed, remembering how pensive he was the day before.

 _..._

 _America sat on the floor of his room playing video games to avoid the guilt he had been feeling at the time. Usually, he wasn't very good at noticing the atmosphere or how people feel. But whenever he did, he just couldn't bring himself to say sorry. It's not because of his pride, but the other person's. After all, North Korea probably wouldn't even believe his worst enemy actually felt culpable for his actions. No matter how much he meant his words._

 _As he sliced another zombie's head off with his virtual katana, he heard the doorbell ring. He shouted at the person to 'come in'._

 _South Korea stepped inside the room, unsmiling. America didn't really pay attention to the changed tone in his personality, and continued to indulge into his fictional lifestyle. The Korean took a few steps towards him and crouched down to his level, examining the game._

 _"Wow that looks interesting? Can I play?" He asked._

 _America shivered at his question. South Korea was a literal god when it came to video games. America and Japan are pretty good at video games. But no, South Korea is the greatest of them all. One time they played together, and South Korea won in seconds of playing and he wasn't even trying to his fullest extent. Compared to him, America was trash._

 _"No thanks," America paused the game and turned to face South Korea. He tilted his head to the side, "What's up?"_

 _South Korea finally sat down on the floor and crossed his legs. He held a stern gaze towards him. "I think you should apologize to North Korea."_

 _America stared at him, confused by his request. "W-why do you say that?"_

 _"Because... what you did was pretty wrong. You kept pointing fingers at everyone and you called him a thief."_

 _"But he kinda was. The money was in his bag though." America said, scratching his head. "I was only stating the facts." Then he sighed, pushing away his game console. He put a hand on his cheek, "Plus he probably wouldn't even accept my apology. Do you even know what he's like?" South Korea almost looked offended at his words._

 _"Yeah. I do know." South Korea's words became more assertive and thoughtful with each sentence. "I knew him since we were born, even if he's changed into some war maniac. I still know him. He might not accept it, but I know he would feel appreciative that you took the time to tell him it. Even if it's only because you pity him." America couldn't see it closely, but South Korea's eyes became solemn and wholehearted. "No one deserves to feel like everything is their fault."_

 _The words echoed through his head._

 _'He's right... it's so unheroic of me to act this way. Why am I becoming such an oblivious jerk nowadays? I need to redeem myself.' He reflected.  'Maybe I should do something.' America stared at South Korea, who was twirling a strand of hair around his finger, patiently waiting for an answer. 'But why did he come all the way here to tell me that?'._

 _America nodded_ _, "Alright. I'll apologize tomorrow."_

 _"Okay, cool." As he was about to get up, America told him to stay put._

 _"Wait a minute." He said, making the Korean stop in his tracks. South Korea looked at America who was gazing at him "Tell me Yong Soo," He leaned closer to his face. South Korea became defensive on the spot, and bent back from the motion. "why is it that you only want me to apologize to him, but not anyone else?" South Korea opened his mouth in shock and spluttered out his next words._

 _"U-uh I didn't mean w-well I-i didn't say so!" The American had put him out on the edge. South Korea had difficulty trying to worm his way out of the situation to give a satisfying answer. 'Shit I'm screwed.'_ _He thought to himself nervously._

 _"I... see ya later!" South Korea quickly stood up and speed walked out of the room, hiding his flushed face behind his hand in embarrassment._

 _After he left, America snickered and thought quietly to himself._

 _'Ah. An over protective brother. I should know, I am one!'_

 _..._

America shook his head before crossing his arms together and pulled off a smug expression. "You know..." He trailed off, tapping a finger on his arm. "Since I did my talking to him, you should do that too!' America beamed at the Korean.

South Korea recoiled from the words America put out of his mouth. "W-why would I though? There's no r-reason to d-do..." For a moment, South Korea became noiseless. He was trying to think of his next move.

"BYE!" He exclaimed. As he was about to make a run for it, the American grabbed the back of the collar of his shirt. He learned from his mistake last time, as he knew for a while whenever South Korea got agitated he would flee from whatever difficult situation he was in. Being captured at a bad moment in time, South Korea shook his fist in anger. "DAMMIT!"

"Come on. You miss him, don't you? I can tell by the stuttering and the serious tone."

South Korea huffed and looked down to his side. "I can be serious." He muttered childishly.

"Come oooon." He encouraged. "Do it. Go talk to him."

"NO!" South Korea tried to pull out, but the American's grip on him was too strong. "I DON'T NEED TO!" He looked around the room in panic. "STRANGER DANGER! STRANGER DANGE-" America had to cover his mouth because other countries were silently judging them from the background. He continued to speak, despite South Korea's muffled protests.

America furrowed his eyebrows, "If you love him, why wouldn't you want to make things right with him?" South Korea stopped struggling and went quiet all of a sudden. America clicked his tongue as South Korea's grasp on his arm began to cease. "Look... I know you both have your ups and downs... well mostly downs. But think about it. If you know the guy so well, then you would know how he's feeling. Don't you think he still cares about you like you do to him? And even if he doesn't, it's still nice to find out." He was still silent. America stared him down, trying to get his words into the other's system. "I'll let you go, but only if you talk to him. Can you do that for me?" South Korea nodded. "Okay, I'm trusting you with this." And America let him go.

South Korea laughed as he ran away from him. "HAHA SUCKER!" He stuck his tongue out. America gave him a bewildered stare, getting shocked from his actions.

Why would he double-cross him like that?! America gave the man democracy and freedom, and this is how he's repaid? He practically raised him to be who he is right now! HOW COULD HE?!

"I TRUSTED YOU!" America went on his knees and punched the floor. Most of the people in the room saw South Korea's betrayal, but pretended not to notice so they wouldn't get involved. All but one person, who had just walked into the meeting room and saw America's despair.

Out of pity, the person put a hand in front of him. "Are you alright?"

America stopped crying and looked up at the mysterious figure. He wiped his tears, "Yeah. It's just South Korea promised me something but didn't do what I asked him to do! How hurtful! It's like the man used me." He took the nation's hand and stood up. "Thanks for asking, Singapore."

The ASEAN nation patted his back, "No problem, la." He then gave the American a small case of portable tissues. "You should fix yourself. You look like a mess." America took his offering and blew his nose. Singapore cringed when America just threw the used tissue on the floor, but America didn't notice his disgust at all.

Singapore took a step backwards, "Please... never speak to me again, la." Singapore left the American, who was trying to recollect his thoughts.

He wanted the North Korean to be happy, but he doesn't want his help since he hates him. And he wants South Korea to make him happy, but he was just so damn stubborn! Who on earth could make those two be happy... together?

 _'It has to be the person who is on good terms with the both of them.'_ He thought about asking Singapore since he had good relations with both of them, but it looks like Singapore had fled the scene already. It looked like he wasn't going to talk to him any time soon. Also China can't. He still won't talk to America for not even paying back a quarter of his debt. _'Who's someone that can get along with North Korea? Everyone but Japan is basically okay with South Korea, so-'_ Then he hit himself in the head. The solution hit him! _'No wait! The answer was right in front of me all along. It was so obvious!'_

His gaze slowly turned to Malaysia.

* * *

After the meeting was over and they both rode the train, Malaysia talked as she walked back to her house with North Korea. "You know, I heard of a really good market place that sells stuff cheap and fast." She snapped her fingers. "Just like that."

"Oh like Chinatown?" North Korea awed.

She gaped at his response in horror. "No not Chinatown! More like a black market that's not secretive... or selling illegal stuff like nukes or fireworks."

"Oh darn," North Korea punched the air with his fist. "I was hoping to get some plutonium in Chinatown since my country isn't making as much as we need to nuke the capitalists. Aw." They both reached her rental home, but they didn't go inside it yet.

Malaysia angrily shook the Korean, "IT'S NOT CHINATOWN! I was hoping we could get some dragon fruit and honey dew boba together, but you deserve durian instead!"

"What the hell is durian?"

"Oh you'll find out..." She shot daggers at him. They glared each other down for a moment before laughing. She felt light and airy inside her stomach when she saw North Korea's snickering face. She was in awe from how soft his hair looked, or how his dusty red cheeks complimented his chestnut brown eyes. For a moment, she stopped giggling and admired how alluring he was to her.

It took a while for North Korea to realize he was the only one chuckling. He looked down at her in confusion. "Is something wrong with my face?"

"No it's just that you look very pretty when you smile." She mentally slapped herself in the face when she saw North Korea stare at her with widened eyes. _'Crap... I need to stop thinking out loud'._

"You're joking... right?" He asked in disbelief. She didn't answer but just took a step backwards and hid her face behind her hands.

Malaysia then noticed she was at the front of her door. She shifted her glance towards the ground and blushed at her actions. She opened the door and stepped inside. "W-want to come inside?" She stammered out awkwardly.

"No... I'll just go home. See you later Damia..."

She gulped, "Goodnight Hwan Soo..." She closed the door slowly, observing her friend's uncomfortable gaze on her. The lock clicked under her hold, and her heart beat never ceased. Malaysia stood in front of the door, thinking deep into thought.

 _'Why would I say that? Now he thinks I'm weird. I mean I complimented him, but he couldn't even accept it!'_ She began to bite her nails out of habit. _'He really is attractive though. By all means he looks so much better than me... why am I thinking this anyway? I shouldn't think about how handsome my friend is!'_

Malaysia loved being around North Korea. She enjoyed his sarcastic remarks and overall pleasant and quiet personality. His presence never made her feel uncomfortable, rather it would feel refreshing. Whenever she got the chance, she would go to him first. She loved being around him, but she always felt like she was embarrassing herself whenever she spoke to him. Why did Malaysia get to talk to this amazing person when she was just average in comparison. But why didn't she care about that at all the same time?

 _'I'm turning into some clingy high school teenager,'_ She sighed, putting a hand over her forehead. _'I bet if he knew this, he'd get weirded out!'_ Malaysia knew how to keep her distance and space, but she had a hard time remembering how to do that with North Korea. In fact, she hasn't seen Indonesia or the Philippines lately because she would spend most of her time with him instead.

She slowly put her hand towards her side and stared at her door thoughtfully. _'Why am I so different because of him now? I don't feel like this with any of my friends. But I don't know why I want to make him especially happy. What the heck does this mean?'_

She snapped out of her thoughts when she heard a knock on the door. Her heart skipped a beat and she didn't hesitate to open the door, secretly hoping in the back of her mind that it was North Korea. But behind the closed entrance was none other than America.

Disappointed yet curious, she pursed her lips and held her chin up high. "What do you want at this hour? It's almost nightfall."

"I have a proposal for you that would make North Korea happy." America put bluntly with a light grin on his face. She almost wanted to slam the door in his face from her crestfallen spirit, but realized what his words meant. What could he do... to make Hwan Soo smile again?

She stepped out of his way, and opened the rest of the door. Her head peeked behind the wooden entrance.

"Come inside and please tell me the rest. I'm in."

* * *

 **Woah I started having writers block when I began this chapter. It was gonna go a completely different route with Singapore as our main star. However, I thought he should be significant to the story in later arcs. I gave the focus to America, since I thought it might be a little interesting. But we're gonna focus on Malaysia next chapter, since she's our heroine after all. This story arc we'll find out about South and North's fallout. The Malaysia and Singapore one though, will be learned MUCH MUCH later. You all just have to keep reading. Sorry!**

 **America: He's an optimistic, oblivious, and energetic person who's obsessed with becoming a hero. Sometimes he gets so into his hero complex, he doesn't notice others distaste towards him. He has high self-esteem and a lot of pride. He cares deeply about all nations, and wants to help them all no matter what it takes! He's so kind, but so selfish sometimes. It can ruin your perspective on him. Now to respond to the reviews *rubs hands together nervously***

 **NekoRyuuKo: OMFG I DIDN'T READ YOUR REVIEW D: thank you I love your excitement for my story you mean a lot bro.**

 **Understudy Of Becky Two Shoes: Wow I know right? Cuddling is cute. And Hong Kong... poor guy xD why did I make him go through that?**

 **Aki: I'm glad you liked the Singapore cameo! He'll have more random cameos in the near future lol. I liked all the things you said about Singapore, I'll make sure to add those traits to his personality in the future. I imagined him to be a guy who likes to be clean, semi-serious but awkward, he tries to be nice but kind of ignorant. He reminds me of one of my friends! And I think he would be in the group chat, and reads the texts while drinking coffee with a lot of condensed milk. Then he spits out his coffee on this screen.**

 **xXTheLeaderOfTheInsanestClanXx: Wow you have her name? Crazy... also I changed the 4th chapter a bit. I hope I didn't get it _too_ wrong.**

 **Anon: I did remove the chapter to edit it :P**

 **meow: Well keep on reading because there's gonna be more of this story! :D**

 **DragonPancakes673: I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter, I worked hard on it.**

 **Please R & R is you enjoyed it, thank you and good day folks.**


	6. The Breakdown

**This chapter was really hard for me to write. I don't know why I'm so iffy about it. I hope you all enjoy it though!**

 **Disclaimer: Hima pls don't sue me this is your anime not mine.**

* * *

"So what is it that you propose for him?" Malaysia closed the door when America had stepped inside, eyeing the American cautiously. "Is it about nuclear weapons?"

"Why does everyone always assume it's about that?" He scratched his head confusedly. "Though it is troubling for my president and future president to handle. So maybe try and help me with this too?" America chuckled nervously. The 'I-don't-care' look she gave him told him immediately she didn't want to deal with _that_ situation.

He took off his shoes and made his way towards the kitchen, sitting on a chair and sighing with a deep breath. He tapped his hand on the table, signaling her to sit next to him. She strolled over to her seat and sat on it promptly, then folded her hands on her lap.

"Do you get along with South Korea well?" America asked.

She nodded. "Of course. He's one of my role models you know." Malaysia begun to remember the early days of her independence when her boss told her to learn from Japan and South Korea. She was a little iffy about trusting the duo, but loosened her guard on them over the years. It was kind of hard to stay serious around South Korea, he's the life of a party.

Japan is a different story.

"Perfect!" America exclaimed. He clapped his hands and rubbed them against each other. "That will work out just fine." He licked his lips. Then America's eyes wandered over to the bowl of fruit lying on the table. His hand slowly went towards it.

Malaysia slapped the hand instantly when she noticed he wanted a fruit. She bought those for herself and no one else. She wasn't going to be courteous of someone who didn't tell her they were coming first. Malaysia began to think about kicking the American out of her house.

"Sorry," America sheepishly rubbed the back out his neck. He put a hand on his cheek and sighed. "Well. You know how I feel incredibly horrible about the way I treated him. I can't really make it up to him... but I want to try. Even if this seems impossible." His eyes became dead serious. "So I want to reunite North and South Korea."

If Malaysia was drinking tea right now, she would immediately spit the liquid all over his face.

But right now she didn't have any drink, so only her face was filled with pure shock.

"Y-you're gonna what now?" Malaysia stuttered anxiously. America chuckled, and retold his plan.

"Look. We all know how in the meeting room it's an unspoken rule to never make the two Koreas talk to each other since it would end in a gun show. But maybe that's the problem... maybe since they don't talk things out, they can't get along." America glanced at his side, still smiling softly. "It's better to talk it out then just bottle it up inside, or one day it'll explode."

Even though she believed the sincerity in his voice, Malaysia just stared at him oddly. "But when they do talk to each other, it all ends with China breaking up the fight. I don't see how any of this would help at all."

"Well believe me. They're issues with each other is because of a series of misunderstandings. If they just talk things out, maybe they'll finally understand one another. I want them to be brothers again!"

"How do you know?" Malaysia asked, crossing her arms and giving the American an ice cold glare. He pretended not to notice her unfriendly atmosphere, and clasped his hands together. His glasses reflected the light as he slowly looked up at her.

America inhaled before responding. "I'm... part of the reason why Korea split up in the first place."

"Yeah. We all know that." Malaysia bluntly put out. She knew how the story went. "After Japan surrendered Korea, you and the Soviet Union decided it would be best if it was split up to manage them easier." America shook his head and gulped.

"No... I made them split up permanently." America looked over her with a worried gaze. "I did some things I don't like admitting." Malaysia raised an eye brow. "You can ask me about that later. North should be able to tell you his side of the story first. But really... I need to help them. _We_ need to help them resolve their issues."

"But how?" She questioned once more. Malaysia was really confused. What could she do to help them? "Why did you chose me and not China or something? I can't do anything special."

"You and South Korea are on good terms. And North is like your bestie! He trusts you the most! It's better to have someone who gets along with them on both sides. Plus China wouldn't take me seriously." Malaysia nodded at his statement in mutual agreement. China wouldn't go along with such an insane plan that America came up with. Even if it meant bringing his family together. "Maybe you can help me coax the two of them into talking to each other. Your calm and poise nature will help lure them! Or we could go with plan B and lock them into a closet together." America leaned in closer to her face, with their noses barely touching. "You gonna help me or not?"

Malaysia cringed at how near he was to her, and lightly pushed his face farther away. She sighed, giving in to his crazy idea. "Alright. But I'm only doing this for my friend, and not so you could be released from your sins." America had stars in his eyes when she agreed to cooperate with him. He got up from his chair and started jumping up and down in excitement.

"ALRIGHT!" He pumped his fist into the air. "THAT WAS EASY!" America pointed a finger at her. "Remember to make North feel guilty for not talking to his brother, okay?!" Malaysia widened her eyes.

"You want me to manipulate him?!"

America laughed. He made a grab for her food on the table before she could process what he was doing. He waved her a sheepish goodbye before sprinting out the door. Malaysia cursed to herself, since he took all her good quality fruits.

She blew a strand of her hair that had fallen in front of her face, and started to think of the possibilities. Would making him get along with his brother really make him happy? She knew he really missed South Korea, but does the other feel the same? Malaysia didn't know, but she was going to try and figure this out.

"Oh my Allah," She muttered to herself. "I can't believe I'm doing this.

* * *

Around four am, she heard a light buzz come off from her cell phone. She yawned, trying to reach out for the phone with a lazy hand. She successfully made contact with it, and without looking at the caller ID she answered the ring.

"H-hello?"

"Wait Damia, were you sleeping?" A concerned voice asked. "Sorry I'll call back later."

Malaysia recognized the speaker was none other then her friend, North Korea. She suddenly burst with a new found energy, and tucked the phone in her neck to hold onto it. "No, no it's fine. What do you need?"

"It's obvious you're really tired. You should sleep."

"You need to take responsibility for your actions Hwan Soo," She said, sitting up from the bed and sat against backboard. "What's up?" Malaysia would usually politely tell the other person on the line to tell her in the morning, because she probably wouldn't take something they said literally because of her exhaustion. But for some reason, she wouldn't want to miss any opportunity with North Korea ever.

It's just because he's a good friend.

Over the phone, she heard him sigh softly. "Well um... can't sleep because I'm overthinking?" She tilted her head in confusion.

"What are you overthinking?" Malaysia heard a him take in deep breaths before answering.

"I-i'm thinking about South Korea again." He stuttered out uneasily. Malaysia found this to be her chance to go along with America's plan. She coughed to clear her voice, and listened to the small whimpers on the phone.

"Please tell me more." She encouraged. North Korea's voice croaked as he began to hyperventilate.

"H-he meant so much to me, but it's t-to pathetic for me to think of him anymore." Malaysia never heard something so fragile and heart-wrenching in someone's tone. Her stomach curled in almost guilt. "But he's n-not here anymore and he fucking hates me... w-why do I even b-bother?" She began to pay attention to his voice, oh his voice. It's like hearing someone strangling themself.

"You can let it all out," She gently spoke. "You can yell at me too. It's not healthy to bottle things up inside... or one day they'll explode." Malaysia widened her eyes at the sentence, remembering those were the same exact words America had given to her earlier.

"... You really don't want to hear me yell," He darkly muttered.

"I do." She said to him.

"I'm so fucking angry at everything right now. All because I saw a South Korean ad and I thought of him. Well that's just so stupid of me. It really is." He took in a deep breath. "Someone important to me forgot I existed. I'm just a problem for him to handle. But at least he'll notice me that way," He started laughing, but to her it was more like sobbing.

Malaysia heard a crash and it all went downhill from there.

"I can't take it anymore!" Something broke in North Korea's side of the line. "I NEED TO CUT!" Her heart skipped a beat when the words came out of his mouth. "I feel so horrible and disgusting I need something to make me feel better."

She shook her head, almost as if she was talking to him in person. "No please don't cut it's gonna be all right."

The phone on the other line sounded with a thud. North had probably dropped the phone over the other end. All she could do was hear his cries and the things he began to break. Probably a vase, or some chairs. She was panicking, trying to figure out what to do with her friend.

With a trembling voice, she held the phone close to her mouth. "I think you're really pretty Hwan Soo."

A long period of silence was held. Malaysia heard North Korea slowly pick up his phone, and questioned her with a shaky breath. "You... w-what?"

 _I can't believe I said that out loud...'_ "Your hair is soft yet smooth, and your eyes seem to have specs of golden amber in them. And your voice is alluring to listen to. It's not just physical aspects but your personality. You're proud of your accomplishments, you stand up for yourself when needed to, and once I got close to you I saw that you were calming to be around. I admire everything about you."

"That's a joke... right?" She could barely hear him.

"No. It isn't. Nothing about you is ever a joke to me." And she meant every word of it.

A small cough. "Thank you..." He spluttered out. "I'm sorry-"

"Stop apologizing please. You have nothing to be sorry for." Malaysia said. "You're a wonderful person no matter what you think. Even if you or anybody else says that you're garbage, you'll always be more than that to me." North Korea hiccuped. "I always thought you were this egotistic asshole because of how you would present yourself at the meetings." He laughed at her comment. She felt her stomach flutter, feeling happy that she got him to grin at least once.

"But I am-"

"You didn't let me finish. Honestly you're someone who's just really lonely and drowns in self-hatred. I can see why, I don't blame you. At the meeting it seems like everyone thinks you're the bad guy. I don't really see that in you at all."

North Korea responded her a hoarse whisper, but Malaysia could tell he was smiling. "I-i have a hard time believing you. You used to be scared of me."

"It's not like you really make a friendly approach at people," She chuckled, rolling her eyes. "I was honestly just intimidated by the scary aura. You build a tough wall around you to not let people in. But... you let me in. And I'm so glad you did otherwise you would've never had someone to help you like this." Malaysia sighed, but grinned to herself. "I really care about you."

"... I don't know how to respond. I-i mean I like what you said b-but I... ugh." She snickered to herself.

"It's okay. Do you-" Malaysia stopped herself by yawning. She was visibly exhausted. "want me to stay up with you?"

"No, no it's okay. I can go to sleep easier now. Just get back to bed, shoo." North Korea pressed on urgently.

Malaysia yawned again and wiped her eye, "Alright. Goodnight."

"Goodnight." And he hung up the phone after that.

The woman set the phone aside on her night stand then hugged her knees. _'I'm really glad I stopped him from doing anything so harsh... wait I forgot to go over America's plan!'_ She remembered, face palming at her recent actions. She cursed to herself. Muttering at how forgetful she was, she slipped into her covers and drifted off into a deep slumber. _'Now he'll never be happy!'_ Her last thought shouted mentally.

At his own home, North Korea was squealing to himself, face planting into one of his pillows. He gripped onto the fabric as he shrieked, his voice being muffled into the sheet under him.

 _'She's the nicest person on earth, I don't deserve her as my friend!'_

* * *

In the morning, she arrived fairly quickly to check up on her friend. She made a 'tch' sound to herself whiling looking at a small watch clasped onto her wrist. Malaysia glanced back at the train schedule, which reported the next train they usually went on would appear. _'Where is he?'_ She pondered, looking around her surroundings one more time before turning her eyes towards her watch. _'He should be here right now-'_

A finger tapped her shoulder.

She jolted in surprise and turned around. North Korea held a monotone expression as he set his hand aside. "Hello."

"Ah Hwan Soo you scared me," She said, fanning herself from the heat coming up her cheeks. "I was thinking that you weren't going to show up." He scoffed and crossed his arms.

"No way I could miss a meeting. I don't want to get yelled at for another reason other than my nation's internal problems," She nodded in agreement. Suddenly, her face went dark and grim. Malaysia placed her hand out in front of him creepily. North Korea looked back at her puzzledly. "What are you doing?"

She gave him a cold, hard stare. "Can I see your wrists?" He gulped.

"S-sure..." He put his hand down on her own. Malaysia lightly pulled up the sleeve up to his elbow. Her face immediately lit up when she found that the only cuts on his arms were just scars that were healing.

"You didn't do it, I'm so proud of you!" She gushed. He stared off to the side mortified.

"It's not a big deal... I didn't cut because you didn't want me to."

"You're strong and getting better! I'm happy for you!" North Korea had tears prickling at the corner of his eyes, but he wiped them away quickly with his other free arm. Malaysia hugged him, making the Korean get alarmed. "I'm so glad you didn't do it! What changed your mind?"

He pushed her away defensively and blushed madly. "Well when someone like you tells me how great of a person I am, it just makes me feel better about myself." Then he smirked sinisterly. "I didn't know how highly you thought of me."

It was Malaysia's turn to feel awkward and flustered. "B-be quiet! You probably feel the same way about me. I only told you that because it was the middle of the night and I wanted to fill your ego." North Korea snickered at her as she pointed out his flaws. They were both too busy making fun of each other to notice the train cart already stopped at their station. When they finally turned around, they noticed the doors were starting to close.

They both made a run towards it, Malaysia pushing North Korea into the train cart while he pulled on her sleeve. They both got in successfully, but the fabric of her dress almost got caught in the automatic door. She tugged onto the cloth and it fell out. From the amount of force she used, she tripped. North Korea's quick reflexes reacted fast enough to hold her by her torso before she touched the ground.

"Are you okay?" He asked.

"Yes." She muttered embarrassingly in their position. Malaysia being held in his arms...

He let go of her and she stood still, a bit static from North Korea's recent action. She thought to herself, if it was any other person like America or something then North would've let them fall to the ground. However, he helped her up... America...

She slammed her hand against her forehead once more. _'Crap I forgot the plan to make him remember all the good times he had with South!'_ Malaysia didn't know how she could handle the task a world super power entrusted her with. She was just a simple woman, who made really good food and loved a friendly atmosphere (except in politics). How could she deal with such a devious task?

North Korea noticed her irritability, and asked if she was fine. Malaysia made the palm of her hand leave her face and reassured him. "I'm fine! I was just thinking of some stuff... nothing too important."

"I was thinking too..." Her ears perked up at his sentence at she looked at him with a clueless gaze.

"Thinking of what?"

He crossed her arms and looked at his side. "I was never this happy unless I was in the streets of Pyongyang. Which is an astounding city by the way. It's not horrific and poor as America described it." He sneered to himself. For a brief moment he was angry. Then his face turned calm, "No one ever really made me happy like you did." Malaysia smiled brightly. "Don't think I'm filling your ego, cause I'm not!" He took a deep breath then exhaled. "The point I'm trying to make is... you're a truly wonderful person. But sometimes when I'm around you, I don't even want to see you..."

Malaysia felt her heart wrench. "W-why don't you?" He looked back at her sorrowful.

"You just remind me of South Korea took much." North Korea answered. His eyes glistened for a moment. "You both made my life worth something. Even if you're just my friend for a short period of time, I'm glad you were my friend in the first place."

"H-how could you say something like that?" She questioned. "I'm going to be here for you, no matter what you think. What kind of person do you think I am?"

"A naive, good-hearted person that will one day get sick of me for being too clingy."

Malaysia resisted the urge to slap him, but clenched her fist instead. "I'm sorry if I remind you about a something tragic from the past, and that it hurts you inside. But I'm not South Korea. I'm Malaysia." She put both her hands on his shoulders and stared at him authoritatively. "No matter how horrible your experiences with him were, it's not going to repeat with me. You learn from those experiences. I-"

The train cart stopped harshly. The doors opened, signaling Malaysia to take her hands off North Korea. They walked out of the train together, strolling their way to the meeting building. The atmosphere was thick and uncomfortable. The woman sighed and put her hands in her pockets and stopped in front of a market place. North Korea turned around to see her gaze.

"I won't hurt you like he did." Malaysia finished. "Even if we grow apart some day, or rumors about you spread even more, I still won't think of you any less then what I think of you now, you insecure butt-head!"

North Korea let his bangs cast over his eyes. "But-"

"No buts! I won't leave you like he did. Got it?" He nodded slowly. "Good."

He sighed, "I'm sorry I compared you to him. I think about him all the time, and I'm worried I might do the same things from back then that will drive you away like it did to him. I miss what we had."

"... Would you like to tell me what you had with him?" She smiled. "It might make you feel better."

North Korea flushed, "Are you sure you want to hear it? I um, don't know."

"Isn't it nice to talk about your childhood? I surely miss mine, and I think you miss yours. You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to. I don't want to pressure you." She said reassuringly. "But it's not good to bottle up your feelings. It's okay to be nostalgic once in a while. Maybe we can avoid those outbursts you have if you just talk about it."

"You think it would really help?"

"Of course I do. Do you take me as some kind of liar? It's okay if you don't want to talk about it though."

North Korea inhaled, and a small smile appeared on his lips. "No. I think I would like that a lot." Malaysia grinned back at him. "Well when we were younger, I as the overprotective calm one. And he was the energetic loud twin. We matched each others personality's perfectly."

While he told her a tale of two Koreas, she thought to herself she did a good job of making him miss his brother. America would be proud of her.

* * *

 **Hey everyone, I'm back. And shit's going down with the characters, huh?**

 **If no one understood why North Korea overreacted in such a way, let me tell you something. He was enraged over the fact that his brother got so far up without him. He saw an ad from South Korea and started thinking, and thinking, and thinking until all that rage just exploded. He was so mad because he felt like South forgot all about him and thought of him as a nuisance, which killed him inside because deep down, he still loves him. This happened to me with one person and it was heart-breaking. It actually happens.**

 **Well now time to respond to the reviews.**

 **NekoRyuuKo: Haha I'm actually pretty excited to reveal North and South's past too! :D**

 **Understudy Of Becky Two Shoes: YOU'RE TOO KIND TO ME! Thank you that meant a lot. Chapter 5 was defiantly my favorite chapter honestly. It was fun to write and read.**

 **xXTheLeaderOfTheInsanestClanXx: Woah I misspelled it two times. Jesus Christ thank you for pointing that out.**

 **totallyignorable: Yeah characterization is something I struggle with, but improving on slowly. I did a lot of research for NK (All those days of reading about NK citizens really paid off) but I might have messed up a thing or two. I like his relationship with South to be something bittersweet. The Taiwan thing was something I thought of myself, even though they both barely have any real life relations. I thought they would've grown up together since they were both living with China. My mistake there. I rushed the story line because I didn't think anyone would actually read it. Well I can't change the past. Hope you still read it, because a big reveal on the Korea's are going to happen later.**

 **BellaKamaruddin: This pair is something I made up myself lmao. I was like "Malaysia has great food and North Korea loves food. What if they became friends?" and what started off as a joke turned into something more. If you do make fanart I will cry tears of joy :D Also Singapore and Malaysia are kind of cute to me in some way, and I might ship it.**

 **The big reveal on North and South Korea's past will be revealed later. Not next chapter though because I'm evil that way. Review if you like and see you next Wednesday for more!**


	7. The Secret

**I'm back every Wednesday, as usual. But I'm extremely late. Dx**

 **Warning: mentions of Japanese occupation**

 **Disclaimer: I own nada.**

* * *

"-So then I pushed him into a river, but he pulled me down with him! Then I had to spend all day listening to his yapping. 'Hyung, I'm so cold!' or 'Hyung I'm telling Yao-Yao you big meanie!'. It's a fun memory of mine. How could I forget something so hilarious?" North Korea explained with a small chuckle, waltzing into a meeting room. Malaysia strolled in with her hands in her pockets, and sat in her assigned seat. North Korea was coincidentally placed next to her for some odd reason.

Meanwhile, America watched from behind a potted plant and grinned sinisterly. Originally we was going to place North and South next to each other, but it would end in a fiasco immediately. So he chose to place to two friends together. He hoped things were going well.

Then America heard the two talk about North's childhood and sighed in relief. _'She was the right person for the task after all, thank goodness.'_

"But you are really mean. Remember when you forced him to carry you so you could grab a pear out of a tree?"

North Korea put his hands up defensively, "Hey, Korean pears are a masterpiece. You wouldn't understand the beauty of them."

"Wow okay. I have the food paradise of Asia. I couldn't possibly understand how good food is." Malaysia shook her head. "Ah. Oh wise Hwan Soo, please teach me your knowledge of food." She asked mockingly.

"It's just a fruit, no need to get a stick up your ass." He rolled his eyes, turning away from her to hide his small, subtle smile. Malaysia caught it from his side and couldn't help but grin herself.

She snickered, "What kind of person are you?"

"A piece of garaba-"

Malaysia immediately placed her hand over his mouth. "You know what. I take it back. Don't say anything at all."

While they continued to talk about North Korea's childhood memories with his twin, China noticed from the corner of her eye that they were still talking. He smiled to himself when he saw how happy his brother was. He hasn't seen him so relaxed since they were still living in his house. He got up from his seat, and strolled over to North Korea and Malaysia.

North Korea saw him coming and gave him a small wave. China waved back and held a huge smile on his face.

"What are you guys talking about?" He questioned.

"The time when Hwan Soo forced South to carry him to grab a pear from a tree." Malaysia stated bluntly. This made North Korea elbow her in the waist while she tried to stifle her laughter.

China awed. "I remember that! You both came home crying." He thought about fondly, putting a hand under her chin and sighing. "You snapped out of your depressing aura when I tried to play your hyang-bipa. You got so mad at me, you kicked me in the shin." China then 'ooed' and let one finger rest on her chin. "Which reminds me..."

The elder nation reacted by kicking North Korea in his own shin. He yelped and rubbed his sore leg, then shot daggers at China. He let out a sheepish smile and rubbed the back of his neck. "I never got my revenge, ehe."

Malaysia tipped her head puzzledly. "What's a hyang-bipa?"

"It's a Korean instrument. Similar looking to a small guitar."

Malaysia chuckled. "Like a ukulele?"

"What the hell is a ukulele?" He questioned, scratching his head. Malaysia laughed at his response while China rolled his eyes.

"It's an instrument , similar looking to a hyang-bipa." She described playfully.

China opened his mouth in shock as the two continued having a conversation without him in it, not even noticing. _'They reached that level of intimacy where they can third wheel an extrovert like me? Wow...' H_ e awed at them. _'But wait how did she get him to talk about it?'_

"Hey um can I talk to you real quick?" China asked, standing up from his seat and grabbing the edge of Malaysia's sleeve. He shifted his glance to North Korea, "I'm sorry but I got to have a girl talk with her real quick."

North Korea looked confused, but shrugged at his suggestion. What harm could he do? "Oh. Okay. I'll just write in here." He pulled out a small notebook and China nodded.

China pulled Malaysia from her seat and walked to the nearest corner of the room, far away from anyone's hearing range. Malaysia raised an eyebrow at the man's sudden action towards her.

"Uh is there something wrong?" She questioned eerily.

"How did you get him to talk about his childhood like that?" China stared at her. Malaysia could see in his eyes that he was just confused and astonished.

"... I can't really tell you, it's personal."

The other nation huffed, "I need to get into his personal life. I am his brother, I care about him. What you know about him, I'm gonna try to help in any way I can. But I want to know how the hell you got him to talk about the old days like that? Last time I brought it up, he ignored me and said I was getting fat. Honestly if you're gonna distract me with something about my body, it should be my hair." He shook his head, before continuing his point. "How?"

Feeling bad for him, Malaysia sighed and answered her question. "Yesterday he had a break down over South. And this morning, he was a bit fazed by it. So to make him feel better, I asked him about the times they were still together."

"And he told you?"

"Yes."

China stared at her speechlessly. With wide eyes, he asked another question. "Are you two dating?"

Malaysia looked at him puzzledly. "No. Why do you ask?"

"Because he would've only listened to someone he really trusted. You must be on his top ten list of people he tolerates." When Malaysia was going to ask about it, China waved her off. "Eh don't even bother with it. I saw it a while ago when he was writing down notes. It's just full his dead leaders and dead siblings. Maybe Russia and Iran are in there. Whatever," He looked at her in the eyes. "Do you care about him?"

"Well of course." She was appalled at his question. "I thought I was too clingy on him. I think you're just making assumptions, China."

"No I'm not. Don't worry about that, Hwan Soo loves clingy people. Even if he doesn't show it. He just wants the attention, so humor him for me."

Malaysia rolled her eyes. "I will. I just feel guilty for reminding him of South Korea..." She murmured to herself. China happened to overhear the other Asian country whisper his other sibling's name.

"What about South Korea?"

"Oh nothing!" China frowned.

"If you want me to help, you have to tell me what's going on." Malaysia sighed.

"Okay fine. I need to get this off my chest anyway," She took a deep breath. "So the other day America came over to my house to tell me his really crazy plan. He wants Hwan Soo and South Korea to make up and be brothers again. He needs me for the job because I'm one of the only people who gets along with both of them, and everyone else was busy."

China looked peeved, and crossed his arms. "I wasn't asked... America should know that I'm their dear, loving sibling. Even if I did ignore Hwan Soo for... years."

Malaysia sighed and continued explaining. "He said he basically wanted me to make him feel guilty for not talking to his brother. Which is just manipulating him. And I don't know if I can do that! I don't know much about his history, only the basics of it. Also I'm lazy and unmotivated, so I am not the right woman for the job. Please China, take my place instead. You seem qualified." She shook China's shoulders, begging him.

He shoved Malaysia off and put his hands up in defense. "Um I can't replace you, but I can help."

"Then help, please. I'm extremely lost."

China went into her bag and ripped out a strip of paper, before getting out a pen and writing something down. She handed the slip to Malaysia. "Here. This is Yong Soo's phone number." Malaysia guessed this was South Korea. "Call him up."

Malaysia twirled the paper and stared at it confused. "But what for?"

"Duh," China waved her off, like it was the most easiest idea in the world. "I want you to talk to him about what broke them up. He'll be able to explain."

"But will he be willing to tell me?" She asked.

"Ah about that. No. It's really dark and personal." China bluntly put. Malaysia stared at her dumbfounded before China retold his meaning. "But you should at least try. Don't give up! Because nothing has happened yet."

"Then why can't I just ask Hwan Soo about this?" She groaned. "I shouldn't bother South yet."

"Well you can talk to him. Actually it might be better to have two perspectives to get a better understanding of both of them. You get it now?"

Understanding what he now meant, Malaysia nodded at his words. "I got it now."

"Good! Now let's head back. Hwan Soo gets lonely easily." China said, walking with her to North Korea.

Malaysia sat down beside him as he asked what happened. China just told him he needed 'feminine advice'. North Korea only shrugged in response. China left the scene, claiming he had to 'mess around with America'. Then North Korea continued writing in his small, flimsy notebook.

Malaysia stared at the table in front of her, deep into thought. _'Why do I have to talk to him about it? Sure, it might help me understand the whole situation, but I don't know.'_ She looked down at the her hands clasped on top of her lap. _'I'm not confident in my people talking skills. Plus he said it might not work. What can I do?'_

"Are you okay?" North Korea asked, making her snap out of her thoughts. She blushed lightly and he continued doing something in the notebook but still talked. "You can tell me you know. I can't be the one to vent my feelings all the time."

Feeling no use in lying to him, she sighed. "I'm trying to figure out how to talk to someone on a touchy subject. I'm trying to figure out what I could say to them. I don't want them to feel uncomfortable or anything! I never tried this hard for anything, but my efforts aren't good enough. I don't even want to try..." She sulked.

"Then don't do anything."

Malaysia stared back at him puzzledly, taken back by what he suggested "Erm... what did you say?" He sighed and set down his pencil on the table, and faced his body towards hers.

"I know what I said. You shouldn't try. I think conversations should have no effort in it at all to be enjoyable. I think this person might be willing to tell you what they know about this... 'touchy subject' if you just play it nice with them. Just take it easy and don't force it on them or yourself." She widened her eyes in shock and gaped at him.

"Wow... that's really wise of you-"

"Or you can beat them to death to tell you what they mean. Get it out of them. Brainwash them into they turn into a lifeless piece of shit that has no will to live." Malaysia gasped in horror when North Korea's eyes gleamed almost... corruptly.

"That's not necessary at all, but thanks for the advice... I guess." She waved her hands defensively. He seemed to snap out of his dangerous faze and pretend it never happened. He continued his point.

"Well there goes plan two. But for plan one, even if you fail there's always another way. It's okay to fail. Because if you fail today, there's still tomorrow. The day after that if needed to. Life is long, so even if you can't do anything about it now, it will work out in the end, somehow." He shrugged, picking his pencil up and going back into his notebook again.

Malaysia awed at his words. Even if he did get creepy in the middle of his speech, it was good advice for how she will handle South Korea. Then she felt a punch go right towards her heart. She just manipulated North Korea into telling him how to fix his own problems. While Malaysia was in her own little world, North Korea finished what he was doing on the paper and tapped her shoulder. He flipped the book so she could view it for herself.

The entire time China and herself were away, he was drawing a portrait of Malaysia. It was exactly what she looked like. The facial features were perfect. From her defined clothing, and to the soft strands of hair framing her face. Even her eyes seem to pop out in the grey colored sketch.

"That's amazing! How did you learn to draw like that?"

"Having no friends a lot of free time can open up a possibility many things." He shrugged. "But the real answer is I just practiced since I was a child. No matter how shitty it looked, I just drew whatever I wanted." He then ripped the paper out of the notebook and handed the drawing to her. "Here, take it."

"Are you sure?" She asked, taking the portrait away from him.

"Yeah I'm sure. I have enough drawings of you for a lifetime." He then realized what he said and clasped a hand over his mouth.

She widened her eyes at him. "Wait what-"

"Let's start the meeting everyone, get to your seats!" Germany barked, making everyone in the room fall silent.

They both sat awkwardly next to each other for the rest of the time.

* * *

"Oh yeah can we not go to the train station this time?" Malaysia asked, stopping in her tracks. North Korea also stopped walking and turned to her. She pointed a finger towards herself, "Follow me."

After that awkward incident, Malaysia tried to think of something they could do. It wasn't apart of her plan to get him back together with South at all; she just wanted to hang around him more. It was also to make up for that incredibly, unsettling situation. And she might've found the perfect place to make up for it all.

They strolled into a grand park, filled with blooming sakura trees and clean cut grass. Malaysia would hush him whenever he asked what she was doing. She wanted it to be a huge surprise for her friend. She walked up a hill with North Korea, and put her small hand over his eyes.

"Don't look. It's gonna be a surprise," She told him, leading him to the direction by holding his hand with her free one. A curtain of tree branches stood in the way of her destination, and she lightly lifted it over his head. Malaysia let go of his hand, while covering his eyes still. "Are you ready for it?" Malaysia questioned.

"Sure I guess," He shrugged. She rolled her eyes, but slowly uncovered the sight before him. He stared in awe at the soft fall colored sky. It had mixtures of red, pink, purple, and orange that just made it all blend together perfectly. North Korea saw over the horizon a small golden peak, which was shown to be the sun. She chuckled a bit while she saw him stare at the view, speechless.

"Do you like it?" North Korea nodded at her question.

"Why did you even bring me here?" He asked.

She shrugged at his question. "I thought you might like it. It makes me calm. But... did you know this pretty sky is caused by the pollution from a nearby factory?" He snapped out of whatever thoughts he was thinking of and stared at her bewilderingly. Malaysia sighed. "What a beautiful sight. But is it worth the asthma?"

"No..." North Korea he emphasized the word harshly. After a moment of thought, he asked another question. "Um... Am I the person you wanted to talk to? You know about that question you asked me about earlier at the meeting?"

"What? Psh, no." Malaysia tried playing it off. "It's someone else... Not you of course!"

"... Oh... okay."

North Korea must be incredibly good at making things awkward, she noted to herself. He doesn't seem like he felt anything. He's not good at showing emotions. This led her to believe this could be her opportunity to know more about his past.

"I never got to ask you something though." She said to him. North Korea faced her with a calm expression.

"Well spit it out then."

Malaysia hesitatingly twirled her fingers around, and pushed herself to answer him. Maybe before knowing South Korea's side of the story, she can know North's first. After all, she was doing all of this for him. "What exactly happened? You said you had a good childhood and... somehow it was gone. Sorry if I'm pushing the question too much." She looked to her side anxiously, waiting for his answer.

Suddenly his face went dark. She gulped when it seemed as if he was almost glaring at her. Malaysia thought she would've been used to his terrifying stares but this time... she was afraid.

"I get why you're curious. I don't see the point in not telling you, so I'll do it." North Korea sighed as he put two hands in his pants pockets. "It got ruined by Japan. That bastard just took everything away when he invaded me. I fucking hate his guts. He ruined everything, if that's what you're wondering." He spat venomously. Malaysia saw his eyes tinted with an emotion called disgust. But it was mostly anger.

"What did he do?" She asked.

"Some horrible, cruel shit. Ugh. I don't even know why people think of him highly for what he does. I remember how he used to-" He stopped himself quickly. His face scrunched up into a cold, hard stare. Almost reliving a past nightmare.

Malaysia felt herself go on the edge as she watched North Korea fold his arms, and stared crossed eyed. "... What did he do?"

"...I guess I can't go back on my word," He clenched his fist and turned his head away. "... He did everything that his people did to mine... Sorry, I just can't talk about it anymore."

She stared wise eyed at the answer and felt at loss on what to do. Malaysia remembered how cruel and menacing Japan was in the past. She knew about the comfort women from his conquered countries. Or how the Japanese used to try and experiment on the people. But she didn't even think Japan himself would ever do something so horrid and disgusting to someone. But he never told her what exactly happened. So she could only assume...

"I'm sorr-"

"There's nothing to be sorry for." He interrupted callously.

A small silence filled with tension was placed between them. Malaysia saw him be distant with her all over again. It almost pained her.

"... Do you want to go back?" She asked quietly in a hushed voice, seeing there was nothing more they could talk about after this.

"Yeah, I do."

The both turned away from the view, which was now a dark gloomy night sky.

* * *

Malaysia laid her back on her bed and sprawled her arms on it. She didn't know what to think.

A nation's past is usually filled with regret and sorrow, but the joy is worth it all. The past was rather...an awkward topic to discuss. She knew other countries like Russia or China were probably corrupt and depressing. But no one would ever dare to ask about it.

Why did she want to learn so much about North Korea? Didn't Malaysia already say to him that they should learn each other, piece by piece? There is a lot for her to learn about anyway.

But she wanted to know everything about him.

She turned to the other side of the bed as the sheets under her starting getting warmer. The girl hugged her nearby pillow as a comfort tool for her to use. Malaysia couldn't remember how lonely she felt until now, she usually stayed over someone's place or chatted with someone.

 _'I don't understand anything right now.'_ She sighed. _'I usually like my alone time. And I suddenly want to be active now. Why am I so usually motivated to do a task like this?'_

It's to help her friend, another part of herself reminder her. Why does she want to though?

 _'Friends help other friends in need. Friends want to remind them how amazing they are,'_ She thought to herself. _'And friends want to think about them 24/7.'_

She slapped her face by slamming a pillow on her face. Her cheeks heated up as she thought about it more.

 _'It's like I have a crush on him or something,'_ She chuckled to herself. For a moment she stopped herself and thought about it again. _'... Do I?'_ Malaysia liked having him around, and always wanted to be around him. She felt better around him. But Malaysia dismissed the thought almost immediately, _'No, no. It seems like a silly thing to think about. There's no way. I don't have time for this...!'_

Right now, Malaysia needed to get her plan in motion already. She didn't have time to think of these outrageous thoughts. It's just two weeks before everyone goes back to their respective countries, and she wouldn't get them together after that. It would be too long of a wait for her and them. How could she do this?

Then she remembered the small piece of advice North Korea gave to her. Don't try prying into the conversation or it won't work.

Malaysia got up from her bed and grabbed her phone and the slip China gave her. She dialed the number down on her phone and held the speaker towards her ear. After a few rings the person on the other line answered.

 _"Hello?" South Korea asked over the line._

"Hi it's Malaysia," She said. "We need to talk."

This was for friendship.

Right?

* * *

 **I'm kind of tired. My friend is forcing me to role play for like 2 hours so I couldn't get this chapter out sooner. Sorry! Also** **I can't do replies to the reviews right now. Maybe I should stop it. It kind of takes time between me and my fanfiction writing anyway.**

 **Quick explaining to do: A hyang-bipa is a instrument recently being renewed in the present. In North Korea there's a similar type called an Oungum. But hyang-bipa was created back then it was around Silla's time. It kind of look's like a ukulele kinda. Go google it man. I'm too tired to explain it clearly xD**

 **I made a small Parks and Recreation reference in the 'watching the sunset' scene. I thought it was funny and I had to include it. And I made a little anime reference in North Korea's speech, Tanaka-kun is Always Listless. Okay you all probably don't know what I'm talking about.**

 **Also the Japanese occupation is a very... VERY touchy subject to write or talk about. But I'm gonna do it anyway *sweats nervously*. It's in next chapter. I'm sorry if I offended anyone. I tried to write them... I tried.**

 **R & R is you want more!**


	8. The Past part 1

**I'm so tired. The next chapter is completed, but very sloppily done. I stayed up until 3 in the morning to finish it... wow I'm so tired.**

 **Disclaimer: I only own these two dorky ocs.**

* * *

Malaysia found herself in South Korea's home the next day.

She placed herself on his couch while the other was preparing tea. Despite how childish and immature South Korea seemed, he was really professional in this situation. He poured the amber liquid into her cup when it was done, and did the same for himself. He sat on a chair across from her, and blew the steam off the hot tea. After South Korea sipped the contents, he let out a sigh and looked back at Malaysia with a carefree smile.

"So why do you want to talk to me today on my day off? Seems kinda iffy to me," He asked, beaming at her. "You called pretty late last night, so I'm wondering why you wanted to meet me."

The woman took in a deep breath, "I thought we could talk about something other than trade or international relationships. Something more personal..."

"And that is?"

She went silent, and instead drank her tea. Malaysia stared down at her reflection on the liquid.

Talking in a calm and orderly fashion was her specialty, but today she was slightly off her game. She was intimidated by his innocent, curious eyes. Maybe it was because he looked like another copy of her friend- the one she wanted to learn more about.

Malaysia looked anxiously to her side to avoid his gaze. "Umm... can you see this weather we're having? It's very nice and... stuff." She wanted to punch herself in the face for saying something as idiotic as that.

South Korea stared at her dumbfounded. "Oh uh, okay... Is that all-"

"NO!" She slammed her fist on the table. Malaysia took a deep breath and slowly dragged the hand from the table to her side. "No... I'm sorry I really don't know how to ask you this." She gave him a heartfelt glance. "You seem understanding, and I don't want to make you uncomfortable. Promise you won't be mad if I ask you this?"

"... I mean I guess," South Korea shrugged. "There's nothing that can really make me angry. Just go ahead!" And he gleamed at her with a bright smile.

She gulped. _'He's going to kill me for asking this.'_

"Um so," Malaysia played with her finger tips, staring at South Korea's side. "Why are you so... distant towards North Korea?"

As South Korea gave her a stunned look, and she winced back in fear of his response. He slightly gripped the edge of his tea cup before answering back. "Oh. I have no trouble answering that. Well you see how rude and arrogant he is. He doesn't listen to anyone in world meetings when we try to help him, and he's too stubborn to try and help _our_ people." He mumbled the last part, putting emphasize in _'our'_. South Korea sighed and took another sip of the liquid. Then he spoke up again, "Besides, he probably doesn't want anything to do with me. He hates me. So why should I even bother him?"

As simple as it sounded, the words couldn't get through her brain. Malaysia's face flushed as she tried to prove her point again. "I get that... but when did all of that start?"

"What start?" He asked, trying to dig deeper into her question. South Korea began to get suspicious of her apprehensive nature.

"You... hating North. When did that start?"

"When did it start?" He looked deep into thought before snapping out of it quickly. He sharply turned his head to her with dead straight eyes. "Wait... why do you want to know this?"

She held her hands up in defense. "It's just out of pure curiosity, I swear!"

"... Erm, okay." South Korea bit his nail from his finger tips. It was a bad habit of his when he began getting anxious. He took the finger out of his mouth and sighed, setting the porcelain cup on the table. "But... why should I tell you? I'm sorry but it's pretty personal..."

Malaysia nodded. "I know it's personal, and I'm sorry if I'm invading you space." She leaned in closer to him. "But I need and want to know what happened between you two. It's for a personal reason also."

"But why can't I know it if you're asking me about how North Korea hurt me?!" Malaysia was taken back by South Korea's unusual aggressiveness. He also seemed to notice himself raising his voice, and coughed for a moment before returning to his point. "Sorry, but I don't know if I could tell you what he did to _me_. He's just... a terrible person..."

She widened her eyes, not believing what she had heard.

"How could you say that about your own brother?" Malaysia found herself questioning, a hint of astonishment raised in her voice.

South Korea stared at his reflection in his teacup solemnly, as if he regretted the words he said. "I... I don't know."

"...I need answers Korea. Please tell me, I want to help-" She stopped herself from telling him America's plan. South Korea looked at her strangely as she began to panic. "I-i want to help... myself! Yeah that's it! _Me, myself, and I!_ "

He deadpanned at her. "Um Malay. That's a lie. I'm cute, not stupid."

 _'Not as cute as your brother.'_ She thought before internally slapping herself. Malaysia shook her head, _'They look basically the same! How can I say that?'_

But in the back of her mind, Malaysia genuinely thought North Korea had a elegant presence.

Going back to what she said, she set her teacup on the table. "Why are you being so stubborn?" She sighed.

"I'm not stubborn," He huffed childishly, crossing his arms and looked the other way. "I was born like this. I am the most understanding and calming person I know!" But this made Malaysia even more aware of his silliness.

"... Can I just tell you something real quick?"

He turned his head around and gazed straight at her oddly. "Um, okay."

She sighed briefly. "Here's the truth. I want to help your brother as much as possible. That's the thing. I want to do something for him, but I need to know his past before doing it. I care about him. And I want to know what happened to him." She gazed down at the floor. "Hwan Soo means a lot to me... I don't know why. But I want to know everything about him so I know how to help him."

South Korea became startled, being taken back by her words. He never heard anyone stand up for North Korea in so long, the idea was almost non existent to him. _'No wait, nations have stood up for North Korea... but I can't remember the last time someone stood up for Hwan Soo.'_

He sighed in defeat. "Alright, I'm convinced. I'll tell you,"

Malaysia felt tears well up in her eyes and quickly wiped them off. "Thank you! I need to know. You'll know the reason soon enough!" She smiled back at him.

The other nation stared at her with a flustered look before continuing. "Okay. So... how should I start?"

"When was the first time you started to hate him?"

South Korea put a finger on his chin and started thinking. The idea popped in his head and he gripped his clothing. "Ah. I remember now."

"... What happened?" She asked nervously.

He looked up again, but gazed toward his side. "It was during the Japanese occupation. North started becoming distant towards me as Japan begun to get stricter with us. At one point in time, I couldn't even talk to him without North shutting me down. He acted strangely. He was always cooped up in Japan's house, not letting me inside. He never even told me why he started to ignore me. He left me all alone with the pain Japan brought on us. North was so incredibly selfish towards my feelings, that it just... broke me inside."

South Korea shook his head. "Those times were corrupt. Once we gained independence from the jerk, we got split up. America showed me how to have fun again. He influenced me with all these new ideas for the country. But for some reason... I didn't want to listen to what he had to say at all. I said, 'I'm doing this for _my_ people!' to him. I was so angry at him... I provoked him. Then the invasions, the war, and other stuff happened between us." He hung his head low in shame, with his bangs darkly covering his eyes. "I blamed him for all of it. Still, I can't help but feel confused around him. I hate what he did to us and our people. But I almost... kind of miss what we used to have."

Malaysia sat there, listening closely to his words as they came out of his mouth. South Korea sighed, "That's all I have to say. Are we kinda... done here?"

This set her off. She sharply glanced at him. "No. Unfortunately, we need to talk more about this. Sorry but I need to clear up some things with you."

He tilted his head in confusion. "And what is that?"

She inhaled before continuing her sentence. "First of all, what exactly did you think he was doing all those years with Japan. Hmm? Have you questioned it?"

"Of course! But whenever I asked about it, he ignored the topic. That's what ticked me off the most, he never told me what he did!" He huffed, folding his arms together.

"... But what did you think?"

"I'm not... sure..." He trailed off. "I haven't remembered it in so long, I almost forgot my own thoughts."

Malaysia folded her hands on her lap promptly. "I may not know much about this topic, but I certainly tried doing my research. I also asked North himself a couple things." South Korea's head perked up curiously.

"And-? What did he say?"

"It's not really my place to say it..." He responded with an irritated tone and lashed out.

"I deserve to know! I need to know the reason why he changed drastically towards me. Why he hurt me? I'm left in the dark for almost a hundred years, and some random acquaintance gets that info before me-" He stopped himself quickly and his cheeks heated up. "S-sorry Malaysia..."

She clicked her tongue at him. "You are a jealous type. But that doesn't mean you can cross a line like that," She responded slightly colder than she intended to. "Fine. I'll tell you. I think you're both at fault for the split."

"... Why?"

"He may have invaded your country, and he might've not told you what happened between him and Japan- but he isn't completely at fault here." She tucked back a strand of hair that was covering her eyes. "You got mad at him. You didn't wait for him to be ready enough to tell you. He wasn't the only selfish one; you were too."

South Korea clenched his fist. "But we're _family._ He knew I could never judge him for _anything!_ " He voiced out to defend his past actions. Malaysia gave him a cold stare as he continued. "But he didn't believe in me-"

"No. _You didn't believe in him."_

He stopped himself immediately. Malaysia twirled her hair on her finger tip, waiting for her queue to respond. She continued while closing her eyes, "I may not know as much as you, but I certainly know more about it in a non bias way. You don't know how he felt back then. I might know about it either, but I can guess easily. I think you should've waited for him to be ready."

"You may be right about that, but it doesn't explain the reason why we split up. He had ideas that I didn't agree with. He invaded me when I said no, so that's his own fault." South Korea huffed.

"Well yeah. That part was his fault. But don't you think maybe communism wasn't the reason why you two are separated?"

"And what is the real reason then?"

"I think he started doing those things for personal reasons. He might've wanted you to accept him for who he was, but you didn't. So he gave up on you just like you gave up on him."

"..." South Korea had nothing more to say, as he was left speechless at her response.

Malaysia drank the rest of her tea and set it down on the wood once more. She grabbed her bag and flung the strap over her shoulder. "I think... I should go now. I have nothing else to say."

"Oh..." He responded. As she made her way to the door, he stopped her. "Wait."

She turned around as South Korea got up from his chair and started walking towards her. Malaysia tilted her head, "What is it?"

"Why did you want to know all that?" He inquired curiously.

"I want to help your brother." She replied simply. South Korea shook his head. Then an idea popped into his head.

"Are you two... dating?"

Malaysia felt the heat rise up to her cheeks as she sheepishly made embarrassed hand gestures at him. "N-no why would you say that?!" She nervously chuckled. _'Am I feeling deja vu?'_ "That's crazy talk. Why would you say that?"

He shrugged. "I dunno... it seemed kind of strange that you would care about him so much."

"Well we're just friends." She put as her final answer. Malaysia opened the door and gave him a small wave. "Well thank you for your time. You answered most of my questions. I'll see you soon. Goodbye." And the door slammed with a thud.

South Korea held an inexpressive face. He shook his head.

"Are you stupid or something?"

* * *

After eating lunch at a small cafe and walking around a beautiful park for a couple hours, Malaysia was glad to come home to her bed. She loved to roll around the sheets as the cold fabric gave her a sense of relief from all the stuff she's been doing. The trip she made to South Korea's place was nerve wrecking for her. Sadly, the sheets became warm again. But she didn't want to leave it. It was too soft... to comfy... so nice to lay in...

This gave her time to put a finger on her chin as she began to come up with her next plans.

 _'Well I did get the story from South Korea. But I need a North Korean perspective!'_ She hit the palm of her hand with her clenched fist. _'Then I need an American one... and a Russian one. Maybe even China can-'_ Malaysia slapped her face in realization. _'I can't do all of that in a mere two weeks! I'm done for! How did I get involved in this Korean drama anyway...'_ She wept to herself dramatically, holding her pillow close as she tried to come up with new possibilities.

 _'I don't even think I have time for the last three anyway. The only stories that matter are North and South's anyway. But how will I get him to talk...'_ Malaysia shook her fist in the air.

"Oh Allah! Please help me solve my problem!" She begged, looking up at the ceiling.

Then her phone rang. Malaysia stopped whining as she grabbed the device. She opened her phone to see North Korea was calling her.

 _'Oh thank you Allah!'_ She quickly pressed the 'accept call' button and held it to her ear. "Hello? Hwan Soo? You okay there?"

"Yeah I am." He responded. Malaysia sighed in relief. "I just need your help."

"What is it?"

A small period of silence was held as North quietly responded in a small, sheepish voice. "...I ran out of most of my food yesterday... and I don't know what to buy..." Malaysia tensed up at his answer and she clutched the phone in her hand tighter.

"WHAT?!" She yelled at him, putting her mouth as close to the voice box as possible. She could already hear his shocked yelp from the phone line. Malaysia never really yelled... unless she was pissed. "You ran out of food yesterday? Then how come you didn't even buy any at the market yesterday?"

"Japanese stores... I hate them."

She crinkled her nose. "Why?"

"I hate everything that's Japanese," He grumbled. Malaysia rolled her eyes and put a hand on her hip.

"I'm mad at you right now. Food is a very important thing in life! You need it to be healthy and grow to be strong!"

North Korea only scoffed at her. "I am strong though. I have nuclear weapo-"

"No one cares." She put a hand on her forehead and sighed. "So... why have you called to tell me that?"

"I was wondering if we could go to the cheap Asian market tomorrow." North Korea said. "You said that it had good food for small prices. But I don't know where it is or what to buy, so I need you to help me."

A blush spread across her cheeks as she inhaled to calm herself down. "Alright... I'll help you with that. But you must tell me what you are eating. I'll have to barge into your home right now if you don't respond!"

"... I'm living off of egg sandwiches..." He muttered. This set her off.

Egg sandwiches? _Those poor excuses of a meal?_

"I'm coming over right now." She darkly muttered through the call. "I'm buying groceries for tonight's lunch and dinner. Bye."

"Wait-" She didn't let him finish as she hopped out of her bed. Malaysia began to angrily pack her things in her bag and forcefully shut the door to her room, and afterwards she slammed the font door closed. The entire time she was mad at North for not thinking about his essential needs! Egg sandwiches... She shuddered in the vegetable aisle as she grabbed some ginger. He deserved real food.

While angrily searching for ingredients, she couldn't help but realize today and tomorrow could be her chance to know his past as well. Malaysia thought she could understand his feelings about what happened and come to some sort of conclusion.

When she finished shopping, she took a train to North Korea's place. She knocked on the door harshly, and North Korea opened it as he stared at her and groceries with wide eyes.

"Y-you actually did it." He stuttered.

"Yeah. I'm not letting you eating sandwiches that don't have a lot of nutritious values." She approached him in a calm demeanor, with an emotionless face. "You are going to eat a Malaysian dinner, whether you like it or not."

"... Oh." He shrugged. North Korea usually would never pass up an offer on someone bringing him food but... he was thinking she was taking the situation a little too far. "Are you oka-"

"No. Food is number one priority and you just don't care," She shook her head in disbelief. The woman clenched her fist and closed her eyes. "Food means everything to me. It is the best thing in the world." She explained dramatically. Malaysia went over to his small kitchen and took out an oven pan. She started unpacking her groceries.

North Korea raised an eyebrow at her. "Um... want me to help?"

Malaysia shook her head. "Nope! You probably don't even know how to cook!" This comment offended North Korea, but responded by brushes the feeling off. As he avoided eye contact, she sighed as she realized her mistake. Malaysia went to far. "... I guess you can help chop the vegetables for me. It'll be nice."

He nodded and put a cutting board on the table. As he began chopping up the food, Malaysia peered over her shoulder to see what was going on.

"You know you should hold onto the vegetable when you cut it." He nodded and continued his work. She still wasn't satisfied. "... Look at the vegetable. Cut it precisely. But try not to leave any scratch marks on the board."

North Korea groaned, "I got it, I got it."

"... Also-"

"Don't try to baby me, I know what I'm doing Damia." He huffed, cutting the vegetables until they were small. Malaysia bent down to examine his work and put a hand on her chin.

"Hmm. You did an excellent job. Though I could've done better, it's decent looking." North Korea rolled his eyes, but his cheeks reddened at the comment. "We now need to blend the lemon grass with the other ingredients now."

"What are we making anyway?" He asked. Malaysia shrugged.

"It's basically just seasoned chicken on..." She pulled out sharp, wooden strands from behind her and grinned excitedly. "These handy sticks!" North Korea held his hands up in defense and winced.

"Can you put those away? It's like you're going to murder me." Malaysia chuckled and set them aside on the table.

"Okay I get it. Let's just wash the chicken."

It became a bit of a mess but they overall worked well together. Malaysia hadn't had this much fun in so long. She felt like a real cook while North Korea was her sous chef. He followed her commands and orders and she was the real brains behind the operation. They worked well together.

After she washed up, and North Korea followed afterwards, the chicken was ready.

Malaysia set the pan full of food on a nearby counter and sighed in relief. "Making this was really fun Hwan Soo. Maybe we can cook together again?" She grinned. North Korea turned his head around and nodded.

"Yeah. I didn't know making lunch could be so fun." He smiled back. Though it wasn't full of energy and it was small, Malaysia felt happy that he had a good time with her and showed it. The guy never really smiled. Maybe a couple smirks and monotone laughing. But this was his real, true smile. "So is it ready now?" He asked, snapping her out of her thoughts.

"It is ready. I was just thinking." She put the sticks onto two plates and made her way towards the table. She placed it on a mat and sat down in her chair across from him. "This is Malaysian Satay." She explained. "I hope you like it."

North Korea took a bite out of it and awed. "It's great."

"I know. Everything I make is great." She promptly huffed proudly, before biting into her lunch as well.

They both ate, talked about many topics, and Malaysia started finishing up.

"Well I have to go now. I kind of need some rest for my introvert self." She laughed half-heartedly. North Korea nodded, understanding her dilemma. "The rest of it is in the fridge so you can it it for dinner. I also packed some sauce in case you want any." North Korea responded with a light laugh.

"All right. Thanks mom."

She rolled her eyes, but couldn't help but smile at the comment. "I'll see you tomorrow. Let's meet up at your house at 1 pm."

"Okay. Got it."

She waved him goodbye. "Well see you later!" As she went off, North Korea clutched the doorway to steady himself. A visible blush spread across his cheeks.

 _'See you tomorrow Damia...'_

* * *

 **I think I need a break when I upload next week's chapter on next Wednesday. I've been kind of stressed lately because my friends in real life are becoming really nasty and I have to get them to back off. This fanfic has been tiring me out way too much. Don't worry, I'll still update. When I return , I'll have a big chapter just for you guys :D**

 **Malaysia REALLY likes their satay. Just like nasi lemak. Though I heard nasi lemak is kinda their unofficial national dish, ehe. Malaysia takes food seriously. North just likes to eat anything that's edible. So eh.**

 **I finally figured out how to write North and South Korea's backstory... that wouldn't mean any offense. At least I hope so. Don't take offense, I tried really hard to research it. Basically Japan surrendered Korea but the North surrender to the Soviets while South did to America. The Soviet Union and America tried to spread communism and capitalism to the halves so they could agree on one of them. It just ended with North and South splitting permanently. I hope I got that part right.**

 **R & R for more stuff! KaylaBow is out, peace.**


	9. The Past part 2

**Hi guys! This chapter is gonna be soooo juicy and good ehe... well have fun reading this shit! :D**

 **Disclaimer: My ocs are created by me, and I don't own anything else. That is all.**

* * *

North Korea sighed as he gripped the small pocket knife close to him.

His side laid to the floor as the blood dripped from his wrists slowly. His eyes focused on the small droplets forming out of his wounds. The same burning sensation still stung on the skin, but this time it just didn't feel the same. He usually felt a sense of relief and almost felt... happy in some way. But for some odd reason, he just felt even colder than he ever did before. This hurt him, and he didn't know why.

The suns rays peeked through the window onto him, showing him it was morning. He slowly got up, and gave out a small yawn.

A sudden memory flashed before his eyes.

 _"You didn't do it, I'm so proud of you! You're strong and getting better! I'm glad you didn't do it."_

North stumbled back and and his knees went weak towards the ground. He then felt tears spring up at the corner of his eyes that went trailing down his face. Wiping his eyes roughly, he shivered to himself and hugged his knees. "I'm sorry Damia... I'm so horrible..."

* * *

"Come on, let's go to that Asian market I was telling you about earlier!"

"Ugh, I'm coming." North Korea obliged with an unenthusiastic tone, putting on his shoes.

Malaysia raised an eyebrow, finding something strange about his voice. She walked over to him. Bending down to his level on her knees, she began eyeing his movements. She put her hands on her hips as she looked up to examine his facial features.

"There's something off about you today..."

"Really? There is?"

"Did something happen yesterday?" She asked, her face filled with concern.

North Korea shook his head. "I have insomnia, so I didn't get much sleep last night. You don't need to worry about me, I'm fine." While that fact was true, he didn't explain the rest of the story. North really didn't want to tell her that he relapsed and hurt himself again. He didn't want to see the look on her face if he actually did tell Malaysia.

He didn't want her pity.

Malaysia eyed him more closely, before sighing and letting her hands fall to her sides. She backed away as North Korea stood up from his spot, dusting himself off.

"Do you... want to go now?"

She sighed as she put her hand on the door handle. "All right." Then Malaysia turned her head to him with a small, heartfelt smile. "But if there's anything you want to talk about, I'm here for you. All right?"

He stared at her for a moment, his eyes widened at her words. Then he cast his eyes to the side and scoffed. "Yeah. Okay."

Malaysia frowned and she opened the door, letting North Korea come out. He gradually walked out the doorway as Malaysia closed the exit behind him. North Korea avoided looking at her eyes and only stared off at her shoulder.

"Well how are we going to get there?" He asked. "Are we going to take a train there?" She huffed at him and crossed her arms, giving him a smug look.

"Of course we're going on the train! What did you think was going to happen?"

North Korea shrugged. "I don't know... I thought we were gonna drive there, since using a car might be less time consuming than riding on train." Then an idea popped into his mind, and turned his head around to her sharply. "By the way, why don't you just take a cab to World Meetings? I mean, I'm broke and I can't drive without crashing a car since I'm not used to it. But you have enough money for it, don't you?"

Malaysia was taken back by his sudden question, not even knowing the answer herself. She went deep into thought, trying to figure out why she hadn't stop taking the train earlier. Why didn't she stop going after the wallet she lost was returned to her?

 _'It's because you want to be with him.'_

She widened her eyes and hit herself in the head. _'Don't say that! My head is full of nothing but lies and slander!'._

While Malaysia was panicking, North Korea stared at her oddly as the woman began ripping out her own hair while muttering words to herself. "Hey uh... what are you doing?" She stopped pulling on her strands and looked back up at him, who was staring at her oddly from her recent actions. She gave him a nervous chuckle in response.

"Oh it's nothing!" She laughed, waving him off uneasily. "I just thought I forgot to turn off the stove at my apartment. Turns out I did, I was just paranoid. Nothing to worry about!" North Korea sighed, and put a hand on his hip.

"I won't worry about it. I'm just going to worry about how I'll carry all the food to my house. It's a good thing we're leaving this hellhole in a week and a half."

Malaysia smiled reassuringly. "It's okay, I'll help you carry them! Plus I want to show you another dish I had in mind." She put a hand on her chin while eyeing him with a smug look. He rolled his eyes, feeling a small blush run up his cheeks. Then North Korea remembered something, and crossed his arms.

"Are you gonna answer my question? Why don't you take a car anyway?"

"Yeah, about that." She chuckled nervously. "I uh, like going on the train. It's cheap and I can't really drive a car easily. I got into several accidents in the past because I was too busy reading a book while honking at people to get out of my way." She started laughing, remembering a mad pedestrian chasing her car on the streets to sue. "I don't think Japan will appreciate me ruining his streets." _'Oh yeah... maybe that could be the answer to why I still ride the train.'_

North Korea raised an eyebrow, not being satisfied by what she said and let his hand fall onto his hip. He decided to accept her sketchy answer and sighed.

 _'Well if I can keep secrets from her, she can keep secrets from me.'_

"All right. Just say what train station we're going." North Korea ordered.

"Fine, fine. You don't have to be so rude about it."

She told him about the station and they both made their way towards the place. The ride on the train was calm and peaceful. After switching carts a couple times, they finally reached the train that would take them to the cheap market place. Though the trip would take at least an half an hour alone.

Malaysia obviously didn't mind it though. She's quite patient when it comes to these situations. But North Korea looked utterly bored and was ready to pass out from emotional exhaustion. This made her chuckle while North Korea was struggling to keep himself awake.

"Do you need to take a nap?"

He shook his head in slow, sluggish movements. "N-no... Then if I wake up to go to the market place, I'll be even more tired than before."

"That's not the reason. You'll wide awake in like ten minutes." She wandered off into her thoughts for a moment before an idea popping into her mind. Malaysia faced him as he looked at her dumbfounded. "Are you... embarrassed to sleep beside me after what happened last time? Because what happened was completely my fault. I let you cuddle me-"

"Don't say that ever again... that's embarrassing." He denied. North Korea yawned as Malaysia rolled her eyes at him. "Plus didn't you run off to the couch last time it happened? Why do you want me to sleep with you so badly?"

This made her face go up in flames as she smacked him lightly. "D-don't just word things like that! People will get the wrong idea."

"Damia. We're the only people on this train."

The wheels under the floor rumbled. It was the only thing that echoed throughout the vast cart.

"I-i just want you to rest easily. Does it really seem like I'm gonna molest you your sleep or something? I'm not trying to be so rude..." She trailed off, feeling guilty when she saw North Korea's eye twitch when she said 'molest'. Malaysia didn't want to invade more of his privacy then she already had, so she didn't ask why he felt uncomfortable when she mentioned the word. She barged into his life too much. He was probably getting sick of it.

"... You're not rude. I was only joking. Sorry if it seemed like I was being an asshole..." He apologized. North Korea closed his eyes and gave out a long sigh before leaning back on the seat's wall behind him. "I should probably go to sleep..." He mumbled softly.

"Yeah... you probably didn't get much sleep last night."

Soon the train cart was filled with the sounds of the tracks and North Korea's soft snoring.

Malaysia was left with only her thoughts to comfort her. _'He's right. I am sounding like a pervert. It's probably just strange coincidences. But my actions seem almost... familiar.'_ She sighed. _'If this was with Indonesia or the Philippines, then they would've made funny insides jokes about it.'_ Then she shook her head. _'But everyone is different. And Hwan Soo is too. I can't compare him to everyone else. He's special... why am I having all these cliche and utterly humiliating thoughts about him anyway?'_

Suddenly the train cart shifted the room roughly, making a soft bed of hair fall onto her shoulder.

She found out that the cart had made North Korea land onto her again. Malaysia felt the urge to face palm at herself.

 _'This is no good... why am I feeling a sudden rush of deja vu here?'_ He purred lightly as she gulped in response. _'I don't want to wake him up. He had no sleep last night! But...'_

The train cart bumped onto something and it made North Korea fall onto her lap. She let out a small yell from shock and North Korea laid there, drooling innocently. If he knew what he was doing, he'd probably bang his head on the wall repeatedly. Malaysia found herself chuckling while thinking about it. Then she went back to her previous thoughts for a moment, becoming gloomier.

 _'I'm nothing but a pervert...'_ She put her hands in her face from shame. Malaysia glanced down to check up on her friend, who was sleeping peacefully. He didn't look stressed out or irritated, but his face looked mellow. Her eyes wandered to the side as his sleeve began to pull down a little. What caught her eye was a small wound was on his wrist.

Without thinking, Malaysia put her hand on his head and petted it softly.

"How come you didn't tell me about this?" She asked him, knowing he wouldn't respond. Malaysia was deeply saddened by his actions. This time, he didn't even try to talk to her about what he felt. _'He must've felt so alone at that time...'_ She only continued to rub his hair with a dejected expression.

Malaysia was surprised at how soft, yet smooth it was. From the looks of it, it did appear to her like that. But feeling it was even better.

Something in her stomach churned as she lightly stroke the bed of hair. It seemed so natural to her. North Korea seemed to enjoy it in his sleep, so this made her continue further. When her fingertips brushed against his odd hair curl, she suddenly reflected upon a past memory.

 _..._

 _"Are you working late again?" Singapore sighed, turning his head towards Malaysia._

 _"Yeah. Some idiot forgot to file papers in the correct spot and now I have to rearrange them myself. I can't really trust anyone else with important things." He huffed._

 _She gave a small 'tsk' at him and shook her head._ _Malaysia put her hands on her hips and pouted. "But the person you were talking about probably just made a mistake. No reason to get mad over something as silly as that." Singapore scratched his head._

 _"Yeah but-" She gently pushed his hand off his head and start petting his hair softly, giving him a small grin._

 _"Ease up a little bit around your wife, will you? You're making it sound like I'm your employee or something." Singapore nodded while blushing lightly. Malaysia giggled before returning back to her original calm pose. "You're so ridiculous."_

 _"I'm an idiot." He chuckled softly. She patted his head and smiled._

 _"But you're my idiot."_

 _..._

Malaysia gasped as the cart rocked harder this time, finally stopping in its tracks to its destination. She shoved North Korea off her and began tapping his shoulder vigorously.

"Hwan Soo, hey Hwan Soo? Singa-" She put a hand over her mouth and North Korea began to open his eyes, stirring awake. Malaysia immediately took her hands off him as North Korea yawned, stretching out his arms.

"H-huh? Are we here yet?"

"Yeah, we're here... we should get out of the cart now." A guilt ridden look flashed in her eyes and she stood up and walked out the door, not even waiting for North Korea to get out. He noticed her sour mood the minute she woke him up. And tilted his head in confusion, still half-asleep.

"Did something happen while I slept?"

"No," She denied, standing in the middle on the doorway. She couldn't even look at him. "Nothing happened." Malaysia walked out of the room with an emotionless tone.

He may act stubborn and whiny, but that didn't mean he wasn't dumb enough to figure out something was clearly wrong with his friend.

* * *

"-Thank you for your time." Malaysia waved at a nearby woman, turning back carrying a handful of groceries. North Korea held some of his own, but nearly as much as she did. He slightly noticed the way she'd avoid his eyes, and not talk as much as she used to.

It kind of pissed him off.

Malaysia's mood improved slightly. The Malaysian started laughing again, which was a good sign. She hauled a lot of fruit and vegetables, looking at them with a small gleam in her eye. He saw that she was feeling better and couldn't help but smile. It made him feel better. Maybe he didn't fuck up their relationship.

Then she pushed all the bags of food onto him and ran off excitedly. He yelped from shock and started running after her, trying to track her down.

Turns out Malaysia ran into a store to buy some stuff for herself. She got a couple of small, cute key chains. North Korea rolled his eyes at her giddiness, wanting to get out of this store as fast as possible. The cat plushies's eyes were pitch black. He could feel their cold lifeless eyes staring behind him and shivered. "Damia can we hurry up? This place is creeping me out."

"It's a cute place." She tilted her head in confusion. "Is something wrong?"

North Korea still felt those sick, dark eyes. "N-nothing is wrong. I just need to go to the bathroom." He lied. Malaysia laughed at him while he sighed in relief. Their friendship was stable again. Thank goodness.

Eventually Malaysia finished all her shopping and made North Korea carry all of the bags. He sighed in defeat as Malaysia cheered. "Woo hoo! I successfully got Hwan Soo to hold all my dirty work. Good job." She patted his back gently, making him sneer at her.

He groaned as a small grumble came from his stomach. She heard the growl and stopped her happy dance.

"I suppose I did forget to feed you..." She bit her lip. Then Malaysia smiled. "Well, let's go to a restaurant then."

He immediately shook his head. "N-no I'm good."

"Come on, I can help pay for your meal. I probably need to make sure you care about your health more. Come on let's go!" She dragged him to the nearest restaurant, despite his many protests. A man at the front desk looked to North Korea and spoke in Japanese. Malaysia tried to interfere, pushing North to the side gently. "A-actually-"

He surprised her by speaking completely fluent Japanese. The man nodded as the waitress led them to their table, leaving as soon as North Korea said some more words foreign to her ears. She gaped at him in shock.

"H-how did-"

"Japan forced me to learn it. Though it's a bit rusty, I can still talk in it clearly." He shifted his gaze off to the side. "I don't understand why we had to have a World Meeting here in Japan... Then I would have to speak Japanese in order to go from place to place, surrounded by people who think I'm Japanese because of how I look."

"... Is that a reason why you didn't want to go to the food store?"

"Partly. I didn't have enough money to buy any that would last me a week. Also I couldn't beg China to help me again." Then he cracked a snicker. "And you mentioned something about cheap prices. That's my kind of deal." Malaysia chuckled at this, then looked at him guiltily.

"Yeah. I'm sorry you had to go through all of that."

North Korea raised an eyebrow. "Go through what?"

"Being surrounded by people you don't feel uncomfortable with. I get that feeling." The waitress came back with their drinks. Malaysia gave him the order and he translated it to her. She went back as North Korea tapped his finger on the clothed table. "... Why don't you feel comfortable around Japanese people, if you don't mind answering?"

He put a hand on his cheek and sighed. "Japan and his people did incredibly horrible things to my people and I. They wanted us to become Japanese, and took everything we had. I almost lost my entire culture to him, so how could I come back here without feeling restless? The people here expect me to act Japanese, just like in the old days." North Korea put his hands under his chin to hold his head up. He stared at her aimlessly. "Japan never apologized for ruining me. How could he just pretend he never did any of those things? It's like everything he did to me was acceptable..."

The waitress came for their food and put it down. They both ate in silence, trying to gather up their thoughts and the strength to talk. But in the end, neither of them could.

* * *

The ride home was silent too.

They made their way out the train's doors, and a vast empty space used to be the train station. It had practically turned into a ghost town.

Walking onto the street, North Korea stopped immediately. A low dimmed light shone on Malaysia as she turned back at him. North Korea rubbed his foot on the ground with his hands behind his back. "Why do you want me to be so happy?" He asked shyly.

Suddenly taken back by what he said, she turned her body to face him. "Excuse me?"

"Friends probably want to do that, but you seem more... determined than normal people. You're trying really hard to try and make me happy when we only met about two months ago. I don't understand. Why am I so special to you?"

The thought left her speechless, until she figured out what to say a few moments later. "You don't need a reason to like someone."

"... But why do you like me? Why are you trying so hard for someone who can't do the same for you? I can't cook, I can't drive. I'm a relatively boring and bland person. I just cry and whine about losing my brother. I can't move on from Japan's wrath from a century ago." He looked back at her with a clueless gaze. "I'm hotheaded in World Meetings, and I don't like listening to people. How could you care about someone as awful and boring as me?"

Malaysia took a step forward and gestured her hand towards the insecure Korean. "You're not boring or bland! I like you just the way you are!"

"Why?"

A sudden anger bubbled up in her chest. She didn't know why, but she was just sick and tired of North Korea pushing himself down. A familiar thought rose in her head. "And this is what I'm talking about... You're defiantly not fine at all. First of all, you lie to me about being fine today. You'e not! I saw the cuts on your wrist." He shifted uncomfortably when she made her point. "Then you're interrogating me because your paranoid about your friend!"

"I have my reasons to be suspicious-! You're hiding things from me as well, I know you are. You acted strangely this afternoon and on the train. You're not fine, and you're keeping more secrets from me!"

"That's because I care about you! Those secrets are different, you wouldn't understand! Everything you had to go through in the past, I understand it. You can't keep those from me. You can't keep your feelings bottled up inside. All the things South Korea told me-"

"You talked to him about me?! Why would you do that?! Tell me the truth," He took a deep breath and calmed down. "Why are you doing this?"

She sighed, not trying to hold up her act any longer. It was too tiring to keep it in, and explained it to him in the heat of the moment. "America wanted to have a plan to get you and South Korea to be on good terms again. As brothers, not nations. He wanted me to help you remember all the good times you had with him and miss him. However, I really know nothing about the subject and made South Korea opened up to me about what happened. That's all, I swear. I just couldn't bring myself to ask you-"

 _"But you have the nerve to ask South Korea?!"_

Malaysia stopped speaking and North Korea looked at her desperately, wanting to know all the answers.

He stared at her, speechless. "You planned this all with... America?"

"Yes."

"Well it's hopeless. Because now I'm going to avoid them both as much as possible. And you too." North Korea walked off. Malaysia tried to reach for his hand but it went away as he left into the darkness.

A gust of wind came her way as she shivered, holding herself.

 _'Now he'll never be happy...'_

She put her hands in her pockets and sighed. _'Maybe all this time, I wanted to help him because he reminded me of Singapore. I'm on good terms with Singapore now, but we certainly aren't married anymore. Maybe I was using Hwan Soo to recreate those past memories without realizing it.'_ Malaysia gripped the fabric of her clothing and stared at the full moon in the night sky. _'Maybe I didn't really care about him, in the way I should have.'_

Malaysia felt so cold.

* * *

In the middle of the night, Malaysia broke down America's door. He was currently in his American flag boxers while eating some cereal. He screamed in shock while Malaysia glared him down.

"We need to talk."

"Um, can you get out of my house for a little bit? Need some clothes ya know-"

"My friendship is at stake here. We're doing this, now." She strode over to him aggressively, pulling out the chair roughly and sitting across America. Malaysia crossed her arms authoritatively while America chewed the cereal in his mouth. "The plan didn't work at all. Now Hwan Soo hates me."

He swallowed the food in his mouth and stared at her wide eyed. "Woah, woah, WOAH!" America gaped at her, and adjusted his glasses. "You serious? You failed the mission? DAMN I KNEW CHINA WOULD'VE BEEN BETTER!" He whined, banging his fist on the table.

She rolled her eyes. "Anyway, please America. Show some courtesy here. I tried to help him patch things up with South Korea, but he's too stubborn to do anything about it. And I heard about everything that happened with him in the past. I can't help any longer and I got hurt in the process of it. Please... help me."

He gulped and pushed his bowl to the side. "That must freaking suck. I bet if I lot someone important to me, I'd be bitter and angry like you too!" She growled at him while he gave out an uneasy laugh. "But... what exactly did South tell you?"

"Japan did things to Hwan Soo in the past but he never told South. South got angry with him and tried forcing capitalism in his face. Hwan Soo got mad and invaded him for not understanding his feelings. The war happened. Now it's present day and they both hate each other."

"Why are you mad at him then?"

"Because he doesn't understand I'm trying to help him! Hwan Soo just ran off in the mist of out conversation. I guess if he's not trying to recoil with South, then I shouldn't bother trying to help him..." She rubbed her arm and sighed grimly. "I invaded too much of his life already. I think I should give up, since this plan clearly won't work. He already said he didn't want to see you, South, or me again."

"... You think he still doesn't love his brother then?"

She stopped ranting and turned to America. Malaysia shook her head. "A couple days ago... he phone called me saying how much he wants South to care about him again."

"You can't hate family that easily, no matter how hard you try." He smiled. "You can't just forget the times you had with someone. He may be stubborn, but he needs time. Aren't you like South as well? I think you both kinda pushed North too hard. Come on, he's just angry. I bet he still misses his best friend." America laughed. Malaysia realized that on the last sentence, he was talking about her.

"Yeah... I guess you're right." She nodded in agreement.

America smiled. "Plan B will surely work out better!" Malaysia turned her head to him confused.

"What's Plan B?"

He grinned excitedly. "Locking them in a room together for the whole night with hidden cameras and microphones."

She blinked once. Then twice. "...What?"

"You in or not?"

"... Fine." Malaysia sighed in defeat. Then she opened her eyes and shook her head. "No actually- I don't think I can help this time. I caused enough trouble for everyone and I think it's best I don't get involved in this. You said it yourself, China would be better." America put a hand on his chin.

"Actually now that I think about it, I'm gonna include China in this plan. Maybe his old, wise spells will help us! He's ancient, so he must know some to knock the Koreas out." He giggled. Malaysia started to seriously think she was talking to a child. "I think you'd be great! North Korea adores you."

"Not anymore." She muttered. "I used him."

He tilted his head in confusion. "Use him? What to you mean?" He pouted. She didn't answer and stayed silent. America huffed and leaned over the table, poking her nose. "Come ooooon." He moaned. "You can tell Mr. America! You trust me, right?" Malaysia shook her head. "Well it's better to talk about your feelings! Come oooon." He grinned. "Tell Mr. America what happened. Buddy, chum, old pal."

Malaysia finally caved in to his advances. "Okay, okay. I guess I do need to talk about it." America cheered and eagerly waited for her words. She took in a deep breath before answering. "I guess... I reenacted what I used to do with Singapore to him. We uh- slept in the same bed-"

"Holy shit Malaysia."

She waved him off as he started crackling madly. "I know, I know. It was wrong. Oddly enough I started petting his hair, just like I used to do with Singapore." America burst out laughing and she hushed him. "Please stop that! It's making me insecure! The point is I treated Hwan Soo just like I did with Singapore. Isn't that wrong?"

America wiped a tear off his eye, "Aha... well why do you think it's wrong?"

"I used Hwan Soo because he was so similar to Singapore. They're kinda paranoid, like cheap things-"

"But don't you like North because of his other qualities?" He asked. "What about his brashness? Or how he's super stubborn?"

"Singapore is like that too." She deadpanned at him. America gestured his hand at her.

"No, no. What do you like about North?"

"... His calm presence when he's alone. His pretty, alluring eyes." Malaysia found herself naming off every quality she liked. "His drawing skills, the way his voice cracks up at the end when he gets really irritated." She chuckled to herself. "I guess I like him because of who he is as a person."

America smiled softly, "I think the odd obsession with sleeping and petting hair is just apart of your personality. It's just something that comes naturally to you, so it's not like you're doing creepy stuff to North just because he seems similar to Singapore." She lightly smacked his shoulder and blushed madly.

"I-it's not an obsession!"

"Well whatever," He shrugged. Then America beamed at her, "So will you help me help North?"

She nodded. "I understand now. I'm glad I got to clear that up. He's my dear friend, and I care about him in a platonic way." Malaysia smiled.

"Not for long," America murmured. He snickered once Malaysia asked what he said. He waved her off, "It was nothing. Now let's say tomorrow we team up with China and kidnap the two Koreas in a meeting room for the entire night, shall we? It has to be tomorrow though, I have an anime convention to go to after that. So there's no time to lose!"

"All right. Let's save my relationship and vanquish your past sins!" She pumped her fist in the air. "For Hwan Soo!"

Malaysia was going to make things right with him. She knew she had to. Because she just cared about him that much.

"Okay! So... will you get out of my room now? It's pretty embarrassing." America asked in a hoarse voice. He was still in his bright, patriotic boxers and his bare chest was shown clearly in front of her. America's face was completely red.

"... I'm so sorry America."

* * *

 **The next big chapter will be in in about two or three weeks. I just need to get my life a bit sorted out. And I need a break. Sorry for any inconvinience, I really do love this fanfiction and I will continue it.**

 **Also yeah. Like way back in Imperial Japan, they forced Koreans to become Japanese. They had to speak the language, use different names - even going as far as destroying Korean records. It was a very dark time. I don't think anyone would like to remember it "fondly". Though Japan refuses to acknowledge and apologize for its actions...**

 **Haha Malaysia finally understands that Singapore and North Korea are just two, individual people. She cares about them in different ways. I wonder how she's gonna patch things up with North. Hahahahaha.**

 **Will the plan work? Will China help America and Malaysia? Will North Korea forgive her for talking to South behind his back? Will South Korea like where this is going? IS SINGAPORE GOING TO COME INTO THIS THING SOON?**

 **Find out next time on Total Drama- I mean How to Befriend a North Korean. Goodbye and see you all in a couple weeks :D**


	10. The Past part 3

**I-i can explain my absence...**

 **No, I can't. Turns out writing a 10k chapter took longer than expected. After I was done with my 3 week break I started writing this, but then everything changed when writers block attacked. In fact, this is LONGER than 10k just to make it up to yall. I hope you enjoy it.**

 **Warning: mentions of Japanese occupation, self-harm, rape**

 **Disclaimer: My ocs and I are simple minded potatoes that don't own this series. Also I am really dark...**

* * *

North Korea laid on his bed wide awake, with his arms above his head in thought. Maybe he shouldn't have ran away from Malaysia. All she wanted to do was help him, but he pushed her away. North Korea became paranoid and distrustful in the heat of the moment, after finding out her odd intentions. He snorted. Of course he would do that. He pushed everyone he loved away. North can't really help it, he was probably cursed to have everyone he cared about disappear. That had to be the reason.

Sighing, he got up and staggered sluggishly towards his window. He lifted the hinge and stared at the clear, full moon. North Korea felt at ease whenever he would look at it. It was the same moon he watched with his brother. The same moon that saw the battles he fought, external and internal. It would be there for him when he needed it.

"I guess Malaysia is probably weirded out by me now that she knows who I really am." North Korea said breathlessly. "If Yong Soo really told her about everything we went through, then she probably hates me. He might've even told her how shitty I am, huh?"

The moon wouldn't judge his thoughts. He liked explaining his feelings to it so he wouldn't have to bottle his feelings up inside like a maniac. "I bet she gave up on me. I don't want that, but I have to be mature and accept it... right?" A sharp pain twisted in his stomach, like he just got stabbed. North Korea winced and took a deep breath. "But for once... I don't want to give up on someone. Why can't I hate her easily? Why... is it so hard?" He covered his face in his hands.

Even though it was there for him, the moon could never comfort the pitiful Korean.

* * *

Malaysia woke up and was immediately reminded of her mission. She sighed and pulled her large blanket over herself. She really didn't get enough sleep last night after everything that a happened. Her friendship with North Korea was important... but her procrastination levels were too high for her to beat.

At the wrong moment, her phone rang.

She groaned and picked up the cell, not even bothering to check the caller id. "Hello...?"

 _"YO! I'M AT RUSSIA'S HOUSE RIGHT NOW AND I'M TRYING TO GET HIM TO JOIN THE SQUAD! HEY CHINA STOP- STOP TRYING TO TAKE THE PHONE AWAY- ANYWAYS CAN YOU COME OVER HERE CHINA IS BEING RU-"_

 _"MALAYSIA! RUSSIA IS CRYING AND I NEED HELP! ARU-"_

 _"YO MALAYSIA YOU LISTENING?!" America screamed over the phone._

"O-oh... on the way." She grimaced to herself. Malaysian timing is different than everyone else. She hoped he didn't get what she meant by that. To her, on the way meant "I'm-still-laying-in-bed".

 _"Alright see you later-HEY RUSSIA STOP STRANGLING TAIWA-"_

The phone beeped as the line went down. Judging by the energetic, _hyperactive_ voice- she assumed it was America. Malaysia looked down at the screen and confirmed her suspicions to be correct.

She sighed and got the strength to get out of bed. America was always one to go too far. He never knew when to quit, did he? Malaysia had to go there right now if she wanted the plan to work-

Her stomach let out a low rumble as she groaned in response. Malaysia realized her stomach wasn't full and she would have to skip breakfast in order to arrive as quickly as possible. She assumed this was her punishment for not making North Korea her first priority. America stole all her fruit so she couldn't eat anything on the way there... darn that man...

Malaysia got dressed and went to the nearest train station to go to Russia's place. China mentioned where he lived one time, so this information helped her in the future. On the train, she noticed North Korea was missing. He might've took another train, or he was just avoiding her. Malaysia felt a wave of guilt splash over her. She really should've told him her true motives. He has a tendency to be extremely cynical and quick to make assumptions.

She hurried off the cart and speed walked over to Russia's place. Malaysia knocked on the door and tilted her head, calling out to them. She heard a havoc inside the building, so she thought maybe they were messing around again. The world superpowers aren't as cool as everyone made them out to be.

"Hello?" Malaysia called out, waiting for the door to open in anticipation.

The door slammed open as she took a step back. It revealed Russia holding America down to the floor while China was sitting in a chair, drinking tea. Taiwan was lying on the floor with drool, creating a tiny puddle of saliva.

Malaysia chuckled in a nervous fashion and waved sheepishly. " _Selamat Pagi_?"

America pushed Russia off him and dusted himself off. He put his hands on his hips irritably. "Took you long enough!" He huffed.

She instead of rolling her eyes sarcastically, she hunched down and let out a long sigh. "I didn't know we were going to force people into helping someone. My, my _boss._ Your such a good person." Malaysia waked over to Russia, who was rubbing his sore bottom. She held her hand towards him. "Are you okay?"

He nodded and took her hand, and she helped him get up from his spot. "America is just being rude and brash as usual." A small protest come from the said American as Malaysia shook her head in response. Suddenly, a familiar voice was heard behind her.

"Damia?"

Malaysia turned around to see a stunned Indonesia. She instantly became awkward and started twirling her hair with a finger. "H-hey... What are you doing here?"

Indonesia chuckled. "I was at China's house because we had to work out trading stuff. Then America rushes in out of no where and proclaims he needs China to 'save Korea from despair', or something along those lines. He mentioned North and I immediately wanted to help, hehe." This made Malaysia curious on why she would do it for North Korea.

"Why would you want to help?"

Indonesia sighed softly out of nostalgia. "I always kinda wanted to become an acquaintance to the guy." She put a hand on her cheek and smiled at her fond memory. "When his leader came to our country, my boss introduced him to the garden. Kim Il Sung passed by a nameless orchid and immediately fell in love with it. North was quiet and stiff, but his demeanor softened just by looking at the flower. I though; 'Maybe he wasn't as bad as I thought he was.' Thus, it was named Kimilsungia to symbolize the eternal relationship between our countries." Malaysia felt her mouth open with shock as Indonesia continued her tale. "We never spoke after that, even with our embassy. It's a little sad, now that I think of it."

"What about that time when he went up to me in the meeting?" Malaysia asked curiously. Indonesia only shrugged.

"You looked uncomfortable and North looked uncomfortable. The turn out probablyyy wouldn't be too good." Then she laughed and put a arm around Malaysia's shoulder. "Honestly, please stop interrogating me. I won't steal your man. Trust me, I tried with Singapore. You get possessive when you need to."

Malaysia's face reddened and she pushed Indonesia's arm away. "Stop invading my personal space _bodoh!_ "

"Like you invaded mine just now? I didn't need to tell you my ever _blossoming_ relationship with North Korea." Indonesia clapped her hands together and gave her a cheshire cat smile. "So tell me about you and him. I always see you hang out with that guy nowadays." Malaysia was always like this around Indonesia. They fought like children, but held each others backs like siblings. Usually their small 'fights' were just childish bickering. But the arguments still made Malaysia' skin crawl.

"We um, we're good friends." She answered squeamishly, unsure whether if it was true or not. Indonesia snorted.

"Like how you and Singapore were good frie-"

"WHY ARE YOU LIKE THIS?!" Malaysia shrieked. They continued their fight when Malaysia pointed out _'Hey, at least **I** married. You sad loner...' _

Taiwan woke up from the sound of bickering and blinked a couple times before fully getting a grasp of the situation. She saw Russia and America wrestling in the corner, though in her eyes it looked like really passionate sexual tension. China was calmly sipping tea while giving a thumbs up to Russia whenever he got the upper hand in the fight. Malaysia and Indonesia had a heated argument over food, Indonesia claiming Malaysia stole her 'treasured dish'.

And that took a huge blow to Malaysia's ego. Taiwan could see the fury in her eyes.

Macau already disappeared into the kitchen, not wanting to get involved at all. Hong Kong had also left without a trace. Taiwan deadpanned, just thinking about how crazy the situation was already.

"H-hey guys?" Taiwan asked in a hoarse whisper. No one seemed to pay attention to the girl lying on the floor. China quickly glanced at her, sipped tea from his cup, and turned his eyes away from her. This made her extremely agitated.

"GUYS!" She slammed her fist onto the ground. Everyone in the room stopped what they were doing and turned to face her. Her eye was twitching and looked like she was going to snap at any given moment. "Have you all forgot what we're here for?!"

"To steal food from everyone's house?" China suggested. Macau and Hong Kong were in the doorway with Russian candies piled up in their pockets. Taiwan slapped her forehead and shook her head.

"No... the plan to get our stupid brothers to stop fighting." The whole room 'awed' in unison at the mention. They all completely forgot their point.

"Well..." America lifted himself off of Russia and scratched the back of his head awkwardly. "I guess things got a bit out of hand."

Malaysia sighed, seeing Taiwan's point. Honestly what was she thinking? She was here to recoil her relationship with her friend but like always, Indonesia pulled her into another one of her shenanigans. Malaysia felt proud of Taiwan's outburst, because it made her snap back into reality. Taiwan almost reminded her of herself... if she were more unmotivated and hungry.

Speaking of hunger, the silent room suddenly heard Malaysia's stomach growl. Indonesia snickered while Malaysia slapped her back out of embarrassment.

"Aiyaa, you forgot to eat? Malaysia this isn't like you..." China furrowed his eyebrows as he stared at the woman. "Are you okay?"

"N-no... I'm not." She mumbled grimly.

Hong Kong popped another one of Russia's small treats into his mouth. With half-lidded eyes, and a slightly full mouth, he replied with a blunt voice. "Can we make some breakfast already? We can discuss this ridiculous discourse about the Koreas while we're eating."

Malaysia's eyes lit up in excitement. "You're right!" Indonesia scrunched her face up and started l put a hand over her mouth to keep from snickering. "LETS MAKE NASI LEMAK!" She darted towards the kitchen with drool trailing down from the corners of her lips.

"NO IT'S TOO LATE FOR THAT! DIM SUM!" China protested, running after her.

Russia deadpanned, a small beads of sweat forming on the side of his forehead. "Everyone... this is my house." Seeing no use in stopping them, he sighed in defeat. "Oh well. It is better than processed burger meat." America stared at him with a mildly offended, putting a hand on his chest.

When Malaysia started grabbing the pots and China tried to cram in the limited space, a thought in the back of her mind told her to think of North Korea's well being. And she will.

As soon as she starts eating.

* * *

"Tada!" China and Malaysia presented the group with dim sum and nasi lemak, accompanied with many side dishes. There wasn't enough chairs for the table, so a everyone had to sit on the floor.

America took a bite out of a dumpling, then a spoonful of the nasi lemak's rice. His eyes beamed at the sudden burst of flavor in his mouth. "WOW! This is really good! I should get more restaurants that serves this stuff."

"Well Mr. America, I believe you are copying Malaysia's actions. Taking people's foods without their permission and claiming it's theirs." Indonesia noted mockingly, eating some of her own nasi lemak. Malaysia shot daggers at her.

"I didn't steal anything! A-anyways..." Malaysia stopped eating and face everyone, and raised an eyebrow. "Why are you all here anyway?"

"I'm here to save the Koreas!" America proclaimed loudly. China rolled his eyes.

"Well I'm here because they both terribly miss each other, yet they're too stubborn to admit their faults. It's getting pretty annoying, aru." China exhaled, setting down his chopsticks. "I don't like it when family fights."

Malaysia noticed a sudden silence fill the air as Macau, Hong Kong, and Taiwan glanced at each other for a moment. She decided to ignore it.

"I'm here to make North Korea happy." Indonesia closed her eyes, filling the silence in the room. "I still consider him my good friend."

A sharp knife just twisted itself into Malaysia for some reason and heat rising up to her cheeks. She felt jealous.

"I'm here to steal food." Hong Kong explained, taking another dumpling from the bowls. "Also this plan sounds incredibly strange, yet amusing. I had nothing better to do anyway."

Macau nodded. "Same here. Also, I feel like Taiwan only came to snapchat the events coming our way." A small yelp came from the girl, and Taiwan glared him down.

"Of course not! I'm here because I love my brothers dearly..." She put two hands over her heart and sighed whistfully. Hong Kong rolled his eyes and continued eating. "Don't you remember the good old days when we would all play together? I miss those days and I want to bring them back!"

"You pushed me into a river." Hong Kong stared at her with no emotion.

"... I'm here because this is my house." Russia said in a hushed voice. Then he closed his eyes and whined, "And I didn't invite any of you here! I just invited China! I DIDN'T KNOW THIS WOULD HAPPEN! I DIDN'T KNO-"

America hit him on the head with his chopsticks. "I'm trying to eat man."

Indonesia smirked, and giggled to herself. "Why Malaysia- you never explained why you came here."

Malaysia herself blushed and stammered out her words. "U-um well basically the s-same reason you're here. I c-consider North a good f-friend." Honestly, Malaysia didn't even know what she felt for the Korean anymore. She cared about him... but really how much did she?

Indonesia eyed her suspiciously, but then shrugged and continued eating. Malaysia let out a small, awkward laugh. Then continued speaking, but this time more thoroughly. "So America- what exactly did you plan to do to them? Last night you said something about locking them up together with hidden cameras? I mean, would that even be humane?"

"You were going to lock them up in a room together?!" China exclaimed, his eye twitching at the idea. "What room would it be? Yong Soo can easily break out of a room just by kicking the wall. And Hwan Soo knows how to pick locks with a toothpick. I don't think that could work at all."

"Ya know that one meeting room on the 4th floor? It has unbreakable glass for doors and you need to enter a code from the outside to get in. The walls are pretty thick- trust me. I tricked kicking them and they wouldn't even make a dent!" Everyone in the room stared at the American wide eyed. They knew his strength was rather unnatural, but even a strong nation like him couldn't even break it? America noticed everyone's appalled expression and laughed. "You guys seem pretty shocked."

"W-why would Japan even make a room like that?" Malaysia found herself questioning.

America shrugged. "They needed to make a room that could survive anything. So it could protect themselves, or something like that. Knowing Japan, what he manufactures has got to be something of high quality. Also we don't need to worry about the camera and microphone stuff, it's already installed inside. Plus we can get into the building in the evening and camp out there the rest of the night."

"And Japan let you do this?' China raised an eyebrow.

"I told him it was a top secret mission, so I needed access to the building today. He seemed pretty skeptical about the whole ordeal, but I got him to agree!" America put his hands on his cheeks and blushed. "I guess it was because he loved me so much."

China sipped his tea and shook his head. "Don't get too attached. He'll just stab you in the back- literally."

Taiwan coughed and hovered her fist over her mouth. "Anyways... what do we all need to do?"

Then America took a fairly large whiteboard and an Expo marker and set it in the middle of the group of people. He began drawing everyone's faces under three separate lists. This made everyone but Malaysia and China set down their food and lean over to examine what he was doing.

With a small 'ha!', America threw the Expo marker behind him and held up the board so it could be in everyone's eye sight.

"Alright everyone listen up! You too China and Malay- you're breaking the system." They both made an agitated sigh and reluctantly crawled over to see what was going on. America winked at the duo. "So here's the plan! Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Indonesia!" The three turned their attention to America's finger, which pointed to the words printed _'Technicians'_ on the whiteboard. "You get the lucky job of programming the security footage tonight. The regular security guard is gonna be off duty, so you all have to figure out how to turn on the machines. I think you all like tech stuff _veryyyyy_ much."

Indonesia gave out a light chuckle, which made Malaysia cringe back at her politeness towards the American. "Well I do use Twitter more than anyone else- don't count India."

Hong Kong shrugged and looked over to Taiwan, who was holding a peace sign and smiling up at her phone. "Say cheese!" She quickly snapped a photo and turned to everyone else. "So what were we doing again?"

"I'll tell you later." America deadpanned at her. Then he looked at China, Russia, and Macau. He pointed at the word _'Suppliers'_. "You three get the wonderful opportunity to put food supplies in the room for the Koreas so they won't starve. Also you gotta put food supplies for us too, since we don't wanna starve either. You all know how to cook, right?" Russia and Macau nodded while China gave the American a cheerful grin and thumbs up. Malaysia let out an offended gasp.

"Why didn't I get that part?" Malaysia cried. America only laughed at her.

"I got you and myself to do the most important and crucial thing for this mission." America smiled softly, and pointed at the word _'Lures'_. "You and me will trick the Koreas into coming into the building. Does that sound good?" Then he pumped his fist in the air. "God, my plan is perfect! Everything afterwards is gonna be fighting, watching from the security tapes, eating dinner, someone watching the tapes, the Koreas crying it out, then in the morning they'll be one big happy family!"

"... Um, I don't think I should get Hwan Soo here." Malaysia told him sheepishly, scratching the back of her head. "You know what happened last night. I really don't think... I'm the right person for the job. I think that fight with him crossed lines."

"I thought you wanted to do this thing so you could become friends with him again," America pouted. This caught the others interest and they all watched from the sidelines- their heads turning to whoever spoke currently.

She shook her head. "I just wanted him to be happy. Maybe I shouldn't be so selfish to the point of asking for friendship again."

"But it's good to be selfish, ya know? Sometimes you deserve those things." America patted his chest, right in front of the heart. "I know I do."

"Hi um, I'm sorry to barge in. I shouldn't be impolite like this..." Indonesia laughed awkwardly. She turned her head to Malaysia. "I don't know what happened between you and North, but don't think like that Damia. Being alone is not fun. Just go talk to him and fix whatever you messed up, okay?" She gave out a light, heartfelt smile. "You shouldn't mess up a relationship just because of one dumb fight. We fight all the time, yet we still love each other."

"She's right, aru." China agreed, crossing his arms. "Hwan Soo gets really messed up in the head over that stuff. Please take the responsibility and don't ignore his or your feelings. It'll work out in the end!"

Everyone in the room murmured with hushed, low voices. They all stood with Indonesia and China's words. Malaysia sighed.

"You're all right... I'll phone him later." Then everyone cheered in celebration.

"OKAY! Now we got the heavy stuff covered," America licked his lips, his eyes aiming towards the left over nasi lemak. He carefully reached for the food at a steady pace. "We can finally eat in peac-"

Malaysia hit the American's hand with her chopsticks bluntly and gave him a blank stare. "No. I'm still a bit mad over the fruits you stole," America laughed uncomfortably as Malaysia leaned towards the steaming hot food, putting it onto her dish. She looked back up at him desperately. "Please... just let me have this."

While she was grateful that the American opened her eyes towards her relationship with North Korea, but she wasn't going to let him take any more of her precious food.

* * *

After eating brunch, the large group decided to check out the 'special room' America described. They all went back to the building where they held most of their meetings, and went on the fourth floor.

Malaysia should've known she should've told them to go in the elevator in two groups, because in the end, they all just went inside into one big pile. It was extremely cramped and stuffy. While they all squeezed inside the elevator, America asked politely (for once in his life) that China should press the button to go on the next floor. However, the elderly nation refused.

"That is a death number! I will not touch it or I'll die- FOR REAL!" China screeched. Russia sighed, and pressed the button for him.

The small, compact room went quiet. A pregnant silence seemed to be extremely common for Malaysia. Almost too common. Her head was tucked under Indonesia's neck, and Macau awkwardly held his arm over the duo to not crush them. It was unpleasant for everyone.

Finally, it ended when they arrived on the fourth floor. They all toppled onto each other when they came out of the compartment. Malaysia groaned and rubbed her neck, as it had gotten sore from staying in that uncomfortable position for too long. Deep down, in the back of her head, that same annoying voice who always taunted her came back to say one more thing.

 _'You liked it better if you were laying on Hwan Soo.'_

She hit her head with a clenched fist. "Not now brain- I need to do things."

Russia eyed her from the distance and tilted his head. "Miss Malaysia? Aren't you going to come in already?" She then noticed everyone had already gotten into the other room, and blushed in response. Malaysia walked over to Russia and strolled with him to the room.

She examined the room's content. There was a small stove that sat on a long, grand table. Many chairs, here and there. A small fridge, a couple potted plants, and some cabinets to hod files. It looked like an ordinary office room, but it was bigger. The only thing that really made it stand out was the giant glass wall that separated what was outside or inside the room with a small code to get in.

Russia went away from Malaysia to open one of the cabinets drawers. It slid open and Russia flipped through a file before sighing. He turned to America and let out a low snicker.

"This meeting room is to think of new Hatsune Miku material? Who is she?" Russia asked. America sweat dropped and Malaysia gaped from shock.

"Erm... a very popular idol in Japan. Yes, _very_." America chuckled.

"I... thought it would be something more important. Like a meeting room held to prevent tsunami's from damaging towns or to use solar energy and stuff... not trying to advertise Hatsune Miku..." Malaysia felt like she lost a piece of respect for the great representative of Japan.

America shrugged, "Japan tries to make himself cooler then he really is."

"... _Oh my Allah,_ " She whispered under her breath. Any adiration she had for Japan was gone in an instant.

Just as she was going to cry from despair, Macau walked over to give out some news.

"Well with the exception of a couple Japanese soft drinks and water in there; there isn't really anything they could eat in here. Hey Russia!" He called out. The said man turned back and waved at him. Macau waved back, "We need to go to the store to buy things for them to eat. China will help us out." This seemed to excite the Russian, as he dropped the shameful files to the ground and rushed over to him.

He clapped his hands together. "We shall go together like one big, happy family, _da_?"

"We aren't family." Macau reminded him. "It's not like China and you are together, right?"

"... That's not what he said last night." Russia said under his breath. Before he could react, Russia went over to China and told him to go to the Japanese market to buy food. The two got out the door before Macau, who tried trailing behind them.

Malaysia put her hand out, "Wait Macau!" He stopped in his trance to glance back at her. "... Why did you even agree to such an odd plan? You never gave out a clear answer,"

He let out a gentle smile and gave her a peace sign. "It'll be fun. After all- _it's joke._ " He said the last part in clear English, with a slight American accent.

And again, the eastern Asian's never seem to fail in leaving her speechless. She was at lost for words.

Taiwan came back giddily and looked around the room. "Hey- where's Russia, teacher, and Macau?" Malaysia just let her hair cast a shadow over her eyes and as her head bent towards the ground. She didn't know how to respond.

"They went out to get food." America explained. "By the way, give me a status report. STAT!" Taiwan 'ohhh'ed before putting her hands on her hips.

"Well, we're getting the thing up and running. I'm trying to translate Japanese to Leon and Indonesia, but they refused to even let me help! Indonesia says she got all the information she needs from anime, and Leon said he just doesn't like me." Malaysia couldn't help but let out a laugh. It seemed so Indonesia-like of her to do that. "So they don't know how to run the cameras or microphones. At all."

"Tell them to hurry up and suck it up, go, go, go!" America said authoritatively, slapping his hand over his other over, and over. Taiwan saluted him in response.

"Aye, aye, captain!" Then she ran over to the other room on the other side of the building, which contained a stubborn Indonesia and a tired Hong Kong.

As they went off, America glanced towards Malaysia, who averted her gaze towards the ground. He gave her a soft smile, "I think it's time for you to do your own job now. You shouldn't let everyone do the work you know."

Her hand made a small salute, which wasn't as orderly and neat as Taiwan's. It was more of a simple gesture. "Leave it to me, boss."

Malaysia walked out of the room in front of the glass door. She took out her phone and scrolled down until she found North Korea in one of her emergency contacts. She pressed the icons and lifted the speaker towards her ear.

 _'Please pick up...'_

* * *

North Korea was eating the leftover satay Malaysia had given him when his phone rang. He held the kabob still between his teeth as he reached for his phone. He looked at the caller ID to see it was Malaysia herself. The stick of meat fell out of his mouth in shock.

"W-what the fuck?" He found himself questioning. Why was she calling him? To tell him how much of a piece of shit he was to her? To tell him that he's worthless and she doesn't like him anymore? No, no... she wasn't like that at all... But his anxiety was telling him she would.

He decided to leave the phone and ignore it. She might give up and stop trying to call him for whatever reason she may have.

But she didn't stop. After it went to voicemail about several times, North Korea was starting to get irritated by how persistent she was becoming. He caved in to her advances and gave her what Malaysia wanted; for him to pick up the damn phone.

He hesitatingly pressed the icon to accept the call, and slowly held it towards his ear. "H-hello?"

 _"Hi Hwan Soo. Can you please explain to me why you missed several of my calls?"_

Even though she was on the other line, he could tell by her tone that she was extremely disappointed in him.

"Uh- I was asleep?" North Korea stammered, his voice cracking at the end. This had to be a good lie, right?

 _"Okay... sounds fake but okay..."_

Now North Korea was really starting to regret picking up the phone. It made him feel even more horrible about himself then he already did. Barely a minute has went by and he was already on the edge of his seat in anticipation, waiting for what she could say next. He could hear his heart beat faster by the second, just by her calm words.

He cleared his throat before speaking in a straightforward voice. "W-what do you want?"

 _"Honestly, I just wanted to apologize. Last night I think we left it on an awkward note."_

North Korea froze, trying to register the words pouring from the speaker. His only response was to clutch the phone tighter and take in small, deep breaths.

"Is this some kind of joke?" He inquired quietly.

 _"What-? It isn't, I'll assure you, la. I was really pushy last night and I wanted to apologize... in person. It seems more real that way."_

"How could you feel sorry over worthless trash like me? I should mean nothing to you right now, so I don't see the point in trying to fix anything last night. I..." Honestly, he was at loss for words. Some small part of him wanted to go and meet her again, but another told him she'll just be like everyone else. They'll use and leave him for sure.

However, Malaysia didn't seem to think that way at all.

 _"I wish I could slap you right now."_

He got startled immediately. "Huh? Why is that?"

 _"You aren't trash. You're my precious friend, and I want to make it up to you. Maybe we might both be at fault for fighting. I just want to clear up some... misunderstandings, aha. I wouldn't throw what we have just like that. Do you think I'm that kind of person?"_

A sudden guilt rose from him. There was no way she could be an asshole like that. Honestly, what was he thinking? "No... okay maybe I did." He inhaled, before swallowing up any egotistic features from himself. "I'm... sorry. For everything really." A small chuckle came from the other line.

 _"I'm sorry too. Do you want to meet up later in a couple hours? I want to talk to you."_

"Uh, why meet up?"

 _"I just kinda want to make it up to you. I have a special surprise for you! Ehe..."_

He noted that the suspicion in her words was just probably her trying to keep this 'special surprise' a secret. North Korea really didn't need to get paranoid over something like this, so his heart rate started to calm down.

"Oh I get it now. When and where do you want to meet up?"

 _"In front of the meeting room building at 7:20 pm. No more, and no less. Got it?"_

"Yes I got it."

 _"Okay good. See you there."_

"See you later too..." And North Korea ended the call. He slammed his head on the table and sighed, trying to figure out why he had to come so late. Why the meeting building? Why so late at night? And why did she want to make it up to him?

There were too many questions left unanswered. So he picked up the satay from earlier that he dropped on the table, and took a bite out of it. It was cold.

* * *

She put the phone down and couldn't help but smile to herself. It looks like North Korea still wanted her in his life. Malaysia felt like she really was overreacting about everything, and now she could relax again. She calmly walked into the room and sat on one of the chairs. Then she let her arms rest on the table with her head on top.

As she was about to drift away into sleep, an annoying voice woke her up.

"Oi! Malaysia! How'd it go?" America asked. She groaned as she lifted her head up.

"It's going fine. Hwan Soo will come at around seven-twenty. What about South?"

"I told him to come around seven. Hopefully they won't run into each other." America then let his hands rest on his hips. "But it'll work out in the end! By the way, we're gonna be lounging around the security room. I already set up sleeping bags and pillows, since I'm such an awesome hero!"

"So we're going to watch them through the cameras?"

America simply waved his hand at her. "Of course. We're going to take shifts though, since it's going to be from night to morning. Does that sound good? Now you can finally rest for a couple hours!" He patted her head gently. "You can nap for now."

"Thank Allah..." She said to herself with an exasperated sigh. Malaysia finally drifted off into a deep slumber.

It seemed like it was only a short period of time passed by. To her, it had only been a few minutes since she was awake. But Malaysia couldn't shake off the feeling that someone was trying to bring her back into conscious. Someone was clearly shaking her shoulder, she thought.

Before her mind could register it, she hazily opened her eyes to see captivating hazel brown eyes.

"-Hello? Malaysia? Can you tell me what's going on here?" The person said.

She was still half-asleep, so she couldn't listen clearly. Malaysia was too absorbed into her own little world at the moment. In the small amount of time she had, she dreamt of food and North Korea. Ah he was still eating the snacks she gave him. He looked so cute... so precious...

"Malaysia!"

She flinched at the sound of her name, finally giving into reality. Malaysia quickly turned around and put her hands over her ears. "You're very noisy."

"Well yeah, you wouldn't wake up. I thought you were dead."

And finally, she opened her eyes to see the culprit who ruined her perfect dream world.

South Korea gave her a curious, perplexed gaze. His eyes were wide, and his hands were tucked behind his back. It was as if he wanted to ask her something, but was waiting for her to wake up.

America walked into the room and waved at them both. "Ah Malaysia, you're finally awake. Also sup Yong Soo," America held out his hand for a high five, which was dismissed by South Korea shaking his head.

"Not the time. Now why am I here? You promised me Japan's biggest secret so I could use it for blackmail Alfred!" He pouted, clasping his hands together. "You're such a liar!"

"Nah, it will be revealed in time." America snickered, putting a hand over his mouth.

"... You seem too suspicious today." South Korea observed, putting a hand under his chin.

Malaysia blanked out, as she didn't know what to do. Her eyes desperately wandered around the room, trying to find something useful. She glanced up at the clock and noticed it read "7:31 pm". This made her pale immediately, putting his face in her hands. She started to shake fearfully, remembering what she had forgotten.

South Korea noticed her bewildered expression and looked back at her. "Malaysia? You alright? Wait- WHY IS SHE HERE?!" He started pounding his fists on America's shoulder, which only gave him a taunting laugh. The situation only got crazier once China, Russia, and Macau came inside to drop off food supplies. South Korea was defiantly confused. His mind only got more muddled when Indonesia, Taiwan, and Hong Kong walked in the room.

Malaysia used this to her advantage. As the disoriented Korean was screeching at everyone, she snuck outside and made a run for the elevator. As soon as she got in and out, she ran towards the front entrance, silently praying that North Korea was still there.

And he was.

North Korea stood on a nearby bench, looking down at his cell phone. He winced and closed his eyes, putting the phone back in his pocket. The air was getting colder by the minute. As soon as he was about to stand up, he heard a shout.

"WAIT! HWAN SOO!" The voice calls out.

He immediately turns around to see Malaysia running towards him. She stops in his tracks and collapsed on her knees to the floor, panting as she gripped the floor for support. North Korea sends her and odd look, but goes on his own knees down to her level. He lend his hand towards her.

"I um- do you need to rest?"

She shook her head and continued to regain her breath. North Korea pulled his hand away from hers as he watched her wheeze, unsure of what to do. After a while, she finally calmed down. They both stood up and dusted themselves off.

Malaysia made eye contact with North Korea, who showed concern after the whole ordeal. His eyes were similar, but the meaning behind them were much different from South Korea's, she thought to herself. His eyes weren't as bright as his twin's, but it had a more gentle touch to them. She liked this calm side of North Korea's, and not the crazy; eccentric one she saw in meetings. Not the extremely bitter mask he always put up. Just... himself.

Suddenly, she slapped her forehead. Malaysia made him wait for her.

She bowed down and cried. "I'm so sorry for making you wait out here, I was so rude to you. I am so sorry!"

He gestured his hands sheepishly at her. "It doesn't matter! I shouldn't have expected anything from you at all,"

"... I made you manipulate yourself into thinking those awful things. I'm so horrible," She deadpanned to herself dramatically, looking away from the anxious Korean. "I am truly sorry..."

"It's fine," North Korea assured her, starting to panic frantically. "I'm fine! A-and you should be too."

"Oh I know. I was just teasing you," Malaysia shrugged, earning another cry from him. She chuckled, "I suppose I was being too harsh on you, la."

"You think?" He sighed. "By the way, what are we doing out here? Aren't you getting cold?"

Another realization struck her like a lightning bolt; she forgot about the plan... again.

"Oh yes, I forgot, haha." Malaysia faked laughed, putting her hands on her hips. "Well... shall we go inside, shall we?"

"You said shall two times." North Korea mused to himself, but said nothing more. Malaysia anxiously led him into the building and onto the elevator. She was scared of what might happen once he saw his own brother. Being locked in a room with someone you used to, and still deeply cared for. If this happened to her, she probably would've ripped the captivator to shreds.

Malaysia felt herself become quiet in the silent elevator. North Korea noticed this was not their usual comfortable silence, and asked what was wrong.

She shook her head. "It's nothing important, you see. I'm just worried about you."

This comment made North Korea's cheeks tint red as he looked away. "Oh. I see. You really don't need to worry about someone like me, but I appreciate that."

The door slide open and they walked out. He defiantly noticed something was wrong. Malaysia looked over the edge instead of her usual calm demeanor, and it made him down right paranoid.

"Malaysia are you afraid of something?" She didn't turn back as she led him to an odd glass door. He raised an eyebrow as her hand gripped his own even tighter. "What wron-"

North Korea stood in front of the doorway, right in front of South Korea.

As if time stood still, they could only hear each others presence, despite the huge commotion in the room. They tuned out the rest of the world and everything else became a blur. It seemed like the only thing that mattered in their eyes was each other.

"Fancy meeting you South." North Korea greeted statically, averted his gaze towards the ground.

"What are you doing here?" South Korea inquired. The room went quiet.

Suddenly everyone rushed out the door. Malaysia got the gist of what was going on. After everyone went out besides South Korea, she used North's confusion to push him into the room. He collided with South, and they both fell to the floor with a thud.

America quickly slammed the door and put in the pass code.

Both Koreas got up and pounded their fists to the glass wall as everyone stared at them dumbfoundedly.

"YO WHAT THE HELL?!" South Korea cried.

"SHUT THE FUCK UP _SOUTH_! What is the meaning of this you capitalist pig?!" North Korea glared at the American.

America laughed. "You guys need to work out your feelings. Didn't Malaysia already tell you this?"

"Wait.. YOU KNEW ABOUT THIS?!" South Korea pointed an accusing finger at his twin. North Korea ignored this and gave a pleading look to Malaysia. It almost made her feel guilty. It made her extremely guilty...

Until Indonesia wrapped one arm around her waist and used her other hand to cover her eyes. She shook her head at North Korea.

"You mustn't take advantage of people's feelings,"

"We'll let you out of this room once you make up with each other," America smiled at them. The two only glared at him.

"Alfred-oppa... I thought we were friends." South Korea gave out a dramatic sob, scratching the glass door. North Korea cringed at the plead his own flesh and blood told to his hated enemy. And once again, America only laughed at his pathetic attempts to convince him to get out.

Suddenly, China and Russia went up to the twin brothers and pushed America out of the way. China put his hands on his hips, and almost glared at the two. "Aiyaa, you're suppose to be brothers! What's so bad about being together? I remember you guys wouldn't stop clinging onto each other when you were kids." He frowned. North and South's face went red from embarrassment, their lips pressed together into a bashful frown.

Russia clapped his hands together. "It would be hypocritical for me to say siblings should get along, as of right now my relationship with my sisters is truly... depressing. But I believe you two shouldn't make the same mistakes I made, and you'll get along just fine. Love always finds a way."

Taiwan waved at the two, "We'll be in the security room if you need us! But don't even try to call us, I took your phones while you weren't looking." North Korea gave a look to his brother, and they both started shuffling around their pockets to find their own cells. Instead, they were empty handed. Taiwan held both of the phones in her hands. "This is fine!"

"We'll be leaving now." Macau gave them a mischievous grin. "Play nicely, will you?" Indonesia winked at them.

The Korean brothers lost all hope in everyone at the moment. They were going to die in a room... with each other.

As everyone else was walking away, Hong Kong was one of the slowest ones. This sparked an idea in South Korea's head.

"Heeeey Leon." He whispered. The teen turned around with his usual half-lidded eyes. "Do you know the code to that thing?" South Korea pointed at the pass code lock, attached to the doorway. Hong Kong nodded. "Will you open the door for your favorite brother? I can buy you as much fireworks as you want." This idea appealed to Hong Kong, as his hand slowly made its way towards the pass code.

"Yes Hong Kong," North Korea encouraged. "Do something useful for once in your life." His hand was so close to touching the panel. "Almost... ther-"

Macau stopped Hong Kong from doing anything rash by pulling him back in a protective embrace. He shook his head at the Koreans. "You two used to be so cool back in the day." Then he left, with them childishly pounding on the door.

They went into the security room and shut the door behind them, earning a cheer from America.

"Okay! We're so good today! GO TEAM!" America proudly motivated.

"... So is there anything else that needs to be done?" Russia inquired shyly, twiddling his thumbs together. America pointed his finger in the air.

"Yes. And that is dinner. Do we have anything to eat? I'm starving!"

"I got a pretty big pot we can use for hot pot." China held it up for everyone to see. He set it down to the side and turned to Taiwan. "By the way, how are Yong Soo and Hwan Soo taking it?"

Taiwan looked on the monitor and blinked a few times before answering. "Umm... they're running around the room screaming."

Malaysia sighed as Indonesia patted her back. "I feel so guilty... Are you sure this plan will work, America?"

"Of course! It helped me solve some... pretty sad issues with Mattie." America crossed his arms and gazed up to the ceiling in nostalgia. "Ah... he was ignoring me for no good reason so the Allies locked us in a room together. By the end of it, we were crying and hugging it out." Malaysia turned to China and Russia and raised an eyebrow.

"... You actually did that?" She asked eerily.

"Yeah. They were being stubborn about their feelings, so we thought it'll help them." China explained, opening bottled water and pouring it into the stove pot. "Remember how funny that was, Ivan?"

"Da. It was hilarious," He chuckled.

Malaysia stared at the floor, wondering if North Korea was really okay. She hoped this was for the best.

* * *

North Korea was pacing around the room while his counterpart was kicking the wall, not even making a dent on it. Suddenly, North groaned and pointed at South Korea accusingly.

"This is your fault!" He sneered.

South Korea stopped kicking the wall and turned to his brother. "How is it my fault?"

"I don't know! EVERYTHING IS YOUR FAULT!" North Korea screeched, stomping his foot onto the ground. He ran his hand through his soft, dark locks. "What am I going to tell Kim Jong crybab- I mean dear leader? He's going to kill me!" South Korea scoffed at him.

"Wow, North. How mature of you," He rolled his eyes, sarcasm flicking off his tongue.

North Korea shot daggers at him, "Hey, since when did you learn how to talk like that? Was it that stupid yankee?"

"Oh I dunno," South Korea lifted his elbow onto his other forearm arm. "Maybe when you started that nuclear stuff, I had to learn how to defend myself somehow." North Korea only glared at him and moaned loudly again. He dramatically fell, face planting onto the floor. Though he didn't exactly care about the pain. It was his brother he was so annoyed by.

"I can't believe I'm stuck here with you." North Korea whined, his face fuming red with anger.

South Korea lifted his arms out in the air and gave him a threatening look. "Well I guess the best thing to do is to just wait here in silence, never speaking to each other ever again!"

"I would love that, thank you!"

"You're welcome!" At South's words, North Korea sat on the floor and stuck his tongue at him. He crossed his arms and leaned against the wall to support himself. South Korea childishly stomped his foot on the ground, but said nothing more. North's eyes began to droop and felt himself get tired from the argument. He didn't know why, but he suddenly decided to sleep a peaceful slumber. Maybe staying up all night from paranoia wasn't... the best thing to do.

After a while, about two hours later, North Korea heard the sizzling of a pot and the sound of eating. He looked up reluctantly to see South Korea eating Korean barbecue. He licked his lips and watched the other closely.

It took a bit but South Korea finally caught on, and saw his older brother's eyes fixated on the cooked meat.

"... When did you make that?" North Korea questioned, raising an eyebrow.

"While you were sleeping, or whatever you were doing, I got hungry. Thanks for helping me prepare this, by the way. It's not like you could do any better," He muttered the last part softly to himself, hoping the other wouldn't hear. North Korea did, but chose to ignore the comment as he stared at the dish, like a predator on its prey.

Taking pity on him, South Korea sighed. "Do you want some?"

"NO!" North Korea refused.

"You can't starve to death. C'mon, there's enough for both of us," He offered, but stopped himself short. South Korea didn't want to act so kind to him, after everything they went through. But it did seem almost cruel to not give him anything to eat. North Korea crawled over to the table and peeked his head on the surface. South Korea poked his nose with the blunt end of his chopsticks. "C'mon... we even got kimchi."

This sealed the deal. North Korea took another plate and chopsticks and began eating. He leaned his head down, but his bangs kept falling into his eyes. He huffed in annoyance and finally tucked it behind his ear. What was beneath it was an strange, abnormal scar.

South Korea himself was speechless. He tilted his head to the side as North Korea picked off some meat from the pan with his chopsticks, unaware of his gaping mouth.

"... Where did you get that scar?" He found himself asking.

North Korea stopped eating for a moment.

"Japanese occupation." He answered bluntly, continuing to eat.

South Korea couldn't shake off the feeling that something was horrible wrong with that scar. "... I asked what happened- not when it happened, North. What happened?"

"Geez stop being so pushy and let me eat-" South Korea immediately turned off the stove. The meat stopped cooking, which only made North Korea look back up at him cautiously. South was incredibly serious. You could see the flare, the intense significant look in his eyes. He wasn't going to take no for an answer.

"... I'm asking a question here... how come I didn't know this?" His expression suddenly became hurt. "I thought you would at least tell me,"

North Korea set his chopsticks aside and closed his eyes, "I didn't want to tell you. I didn't feel like I really needed to anyway." He averted his gaze towards the side. "I pissed Japan off once time. His sword was in his hands, and I was an idiot. I didn't want to worry you about myself since you were already so paranoid during that time."

"Well, that does make since." South Korea murmured quietly to himself. Then he lifted his head back up, "Is that why you always stayed with Japan then?"

"... No." This answer confused South as North Korea turned the stove back on to finish his meal.

"What do you mean no?" His twin asked. "Why did you even stay with him back then?"

"It's not important." North Korea's bang were cast over his eyes, making a dark shadow. He grabbed his chopsticks towards the grill, "Now if you can just let me eat-"

"You know, the others got us trapped in here to learn about each other. And I always wondered... what exactly happened between you and Japan?" South Korea asked, looking at his brother with half-lidded eyes. "Why did you never tell me what happened? I always wanted to know... I always needed to know... it's a little unfair Malaysia already figured it out before me."

"Shut up."

"But why do you trust her more than me? Why can't you-"

" _Shut up._ "

South Korea stopped himself as North Korea turned off the stove, the meat was burned charcoal black. His counterpart sighed as he stood up from the table, gripping the surfaces's wooden edges. South Korea quietly sat in his own chair, staring off to the side.

"You won't tell me... huh."

"If you ever found out the truth... I bet you'd hate me even more," North Korea whispered bitterly to himself. "You probably wouldn't even look at me in the same way ever again."

"I... I don't care!" His twin slammed his hands on the table and stood up himself. "But I don't deserve to be left in the dark! You hurt me and left me, without even explaining why! I want to know! I deserve to know..." South Korea slipped his hands off the table and let them fall to his side. "... Do you really hate me that much? You don't even want me to know why you hate me...?"

A small croak was held in his throat, and North Korea coughed to clear it up. A year ago, he would've never done this. But meeting someone... made him muster up the confidence to tell him how he really felt.

"... Look I... don't really hate you..." North Korea confessed. South Korea stared at him flabbergasted. "I'm stubborn... if not _a lot_ more stubborn than you. I think today I'm finally ready to tell you... these things."

South Korea's ears perked up. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. he could finally know the reason why things between them got so hard. It almost made him tear up, which he quickly wiped away with the edge of his oversized sleeve.

"Okay. Do you want me to start off to make it easier for you?" South asked. North Korea nodded. "Good. Because I'm going to need a white board first." South Korea scanned the room and found a giant whiteboard, probably something America left behind by accident. He got one of the markers and started drawing a huge timeline.

When he was finished, South Korea stepped back and set it on its own podium. He pointed his finger at the first picture, which was the Koreas as children. "You see here, we have two kids with bright, beautiful futures. They depended on each other. You were the shy, quiet, anti-social twin while I was the awesome fun one. We had a good life." Then his eyes darkened as he pointed at the next drawing, which was Japan terrorizing the twins. "Then Japan comes along and screws everything up. One of our childhood best friend's, Japan himself, took everything about ourselves away! Suddenly you leave me alone during this tragic time, no where to be seen!"

"You did see me a handful of times though,"

"But not enough!" Then he landed a finger on the picture of Russia and North himself. "Then we get separated, you invade me, war stuff, and now it's present day! That's the entire timeline with a non bias view."

North Korea rolled his eyes, "Non bias, huh?"

South Korea put his hand on his chest, "Do you think innocent, little me would do anything wrong? Ever?"

"Yes."

"But you should know how I felt back then, at the very least!" South Korea ignored him, glaring at him with venomous eyes. "You left me, and didn't bother asking how I felt. Then you suddenly invade me out of no where. And you didn't..." His expression softened into a mellow, hurt look. "It's like you didn't even cared about how I felt..."

"So you're going to shift all the blame on me?" North Korea inquired. "What about how I felt about everything that has happened? Do you think I wouldn't be hurt as well?"

"You were the one to ignore me and push me away! How is it not your fault?"

He stared up at him silently with a watchful gaze, tapping his finger on the edge of his sleeve. After a long examination, he sighed. "I suppose your point is valid. But you have the wrong idea. You really don't know what happened, do you?"

"I know... enough." South Korea rubbed his arm with an uncomfortable expression. "Is there something you haven't told me?"

North Korea shifted his gaze towards the ground, and let his hand fall next to his hip. "Yes. A lot. I guess... I could tell you now?"

"That..." South Korea smiled at him weakly. "That would mean a lot to me." North Korea sighed and laid his hand on his cheek, with an elbow on his knee to keep himself from falling.

"Whatever. Let's just get on with it.

...

 _He nervously tugged onto his long braid as Japan examined him from a chair in the corner of the room. Japan earlier had forcefully tugged onto the Korean's collar and pushed him into his own room, making North stumble onto his bed. North Korea felt Japan's dark, hollow gaze pierce through his exterior. He felt himself jump up a bit as Japan stood up from the seat, walking around the anxious, timid Korean._

 _"W-what do you want?" North Korea asked, gripping his hold onto his hair even tighter. Japan's eyes bore into his own. He gulped as Japan finally stopped in front of him, lifting his chin with his own gloved hands. North Korea quickly turned away from the action, closing his eyes. "You already took over my country, took our family away, now what are you going to do?" He looked up to give him venomous eyes._

 _Japan tilted his head towards the side, in an almost seemingly calm action. "What do I want? You think I had some motive with you, Hwan Soo? My... you are quite intelligent, aren't you?"_

 _"Tell me what you're going to do Japan! Why would you hurt me like this? I thought we were friends..." He looked away, remembering all the fun times they had. Japan lifted his hands towards him and caressed his cheeks with a gentle hold._

 _"We are friends. We'll always be friends. But you never seemed to notice... how I always loved you more than that." A small chill crept up North Korea's spine as Japan petted his cheek softly. "Although your brother was annoying at times, I cared for him. I guess what I'm trying to tell you is I wanted you both to myself, and only myself. Not to Yao, not to Joseon. And I would do whatever it took to get to you."_

 _"You're insane. You're not who I grew up with." North Korea spat, shooing Japan's affectionate motions from him. "You can't make someone love you like that. Japan, you should know this_ _by now." His facial expression softened. "I don't even care about you anymore..."_

 _Japan didn't like this answer. He slapped his face with fire burning furiously in his eyes._

 _North Korea touched the newly formed bruise on his cheek, staring up at Japan in shock. "J-japan-"_

 _"You're wrong. You will love me, and you have to." Japan clasped his hands together and averted his eyes towards the wall. "I mean, it's the only way of protecting your brother."_

 _"W-what do you mean by that?"_

 _A soft, haunting laugh came from the other. Japan wiped an invisible tear off his eye, and held his chest with his other hand. "I guess you aren't intelligent enough to figure it out. Well, you do love Yong Soo, right?"_

 _"More than anything in this entire world," North Korea sneered at him. Japan dismissed him by waving his hand._

 _"And you would do anything to protect him, right?"_

 _"Of course! Whatever it may be, I'll keep him from harm. He's all I have... And he's all I ever needed. During this horrible period of time, I'm gonna have to protect him even harder than before. I'll never let you or anyone else on this planet take him away from me. Never." He scoffed at him bitterly. "So yes, I do love him. What are you trying to say here?"_

 _Japan starting staring at his fingernails, as if he was bored by North Korea's love for his brother. "What if I broke your brother?"_

 _"What?"_

 _"I would morph his personality that cannot be fixed or be reversed. I'm a powerful, rich empire. I can do whatever I want to my conquered lands. The United Nations don't care about you or your people at all, so don't bother thinking they're going to save you." North Korea gritted his teeth and clenched his hanbok tighter. "You're both twins, so it could be easy for me to replace you with him. Imagine your brother, paranoid and freighted- hating his brother because he was too much of a coward to try and save him. At every sound he hears, it'll make him wither and cry. Would that be protecting him, or just yourself?"_

 _"NO!" He shouted, standing up from his spot on the bed. North Korea stared him down angrily, "You just try and do that to him-!"_

 _"I told you already, no one cares." Japan shifted his gaze towards the hem of the hanbok, tugging it with his hand. "What do you say, Hwan Soo? I'll do whatever I want with you, and I'll leave your brother alone."_

 _North Korea glared at him, not even putting it into thought first. His brother will always, and forever be, his number one priority. "I'll do it. What are you going to make me do? Cook your meals, fan you?"_

 _The other stood silently, the mysterious glint in his eyes confused North Korea. He didn't understand. "You're very innocent, aren't you?" He took a step in, knocking North Korea onto the bed with him on top. Japan's arms locked North Korea's body in the middle. His eyes bore into the other's. Now, his blank eyes had a dark meaning behind them. It was corrupt and twisted, cold and bleak._

 _His eyes widened as his lips trembled. North Korea reached his hand out, but Japan pinned it to the side. He felt tears prickle the corner of his eyes, "N-no way... you wouldn't do this... you wouldn't..." Japan wiped them away with his thumb, showing what he truly meant._

 _"Do you want me to break your brother instead?"_

 _"No!" Japan held the same emotionless, still expression on his face. Almost as if nothing he did was wrong._

 _"Well okay, let's get started." He started pulling the Korean's clothing, this time letting Japan do away with him._

 _North Korea never felt more disgusted in his entire life._

 _..._

 _He would often have to stay in Japan's room, to afraid to go out. Sometimes he would have to maid with Japan, cleaning his house and cooking his meals. He no longer had the will to speak his own, beloved language. Japan had taken everything from him. His pride and dignity, his purity, and even his own brother._

 _"Hyung-nim let me in!" North Korea winced as his twin pounded on the other side door. He let himself crept the sliding door open, so only his eyes could be in view. A sigh escaped his lips as he saw South Korea, perfectly unharmed. The younger's eyes fell towards the dark, purple bruises around his collarbone and legs. "Where did you get those bruises? Did Japan hurt-"_

 _"No," He answered quickly. "I fell down the hallway because I'm a dumb clutz. Now what are you doing here?"_

 _"I-it's scary in Seoul, hyung-nim. The soldiers scream at me and threaten to take me away if I forget to speak even just one word of Japanese." He stomped his foot angrily on the ground. "I hate Japan! I HATE JAPAN!"_

 _"SHHH-!" North Korea darted his eyes away from him, worried someone might've over heard. "Be quiet!"_

 _"Please come back home, I need you..." South Korea begged. North Korea wanted so desperately to hold him, and tell him everything was going to be alright even when it wasn't. He wanted to coo his twin to sleep, and watch the moon fall during the night. North Korea wished he could live in happiness again, free from harm. He wanted it again so badly..._

 _But it can't be that way anymore._

 _"No. Go away." North Korea responded coldly. South Korea's eyes widened as tears started forming in his eyes. The other quickly shut the door, trying to cover his ears to pretend he couldn't hear his wailing._

 _..._

 _Snip, snip, snip._

 _A part of his hair curled over the mark that was struck onto his forehead. Scars can't heal, and neither can he._

 _Snip, snip, snip._

 _The leftover hair fell onto the ground. North Korea had taken half of one side of his bangs, and cut it off so no one could see the humiliating scar on his forehead. Why did he have to rebel against Japan like that? Why didn't he stop himself from yelling at the Japanese man, screaming for freedom and his brother back._

 _Japan struck him- slicing apart of his skin in the process. It created a long trail of blood, dropping into his eye. But Japan didn't care. Japan walked away, he didn't care. He didn't care, he didn't care at all. But North Korea didn't thought it mattered, as long as his precious little brother was safe. No one else mattered other than him. Nothing. No one else. He is all he has left of his sanity._

 _He was fine, he was fine, he was fine._

 _Snip, snip, snip._

 _..._

 _"We're free Yong Soo!" North Korea gasped, tears prickling at the corners of his eyes. He was finally out of Japan's control- he was finally able to be with his brother again! North Korea hugged his brother tightly. The other made no move for a second, almost hesitating. But pushed him away immediately. "... Yong Soo?"_

 _"I-i'm not feeling good Hyung-nim." South Korea laughed sheepishly, stepping back. His brother raised an eyebrow, but didn't ask any more of it._

 _A sudden long shadow hovered over the two. They turned and looked up to see someone with bright, condescending lilac purple eyes. He waved at them, his mouth was covered by a large, pale colored scarf. His nose peeked from the top of the cloth. North Korea gulped. He was intimidating, tall, and probably an incredibly powerful country. North Korea stretched his arms out of cover his younger brother protectively._

 _"Hello you two. How would you like to join me..." He reached his hand out towards them, but another shadow appeared. America's glasses glinted and slapped the gesture away. He shook his head at the other._

 _"Russia... we talked about this." The two Koreas looked at each other from the corner of their eye. What was going on? "We need to take them separately."_

 _They widened their eyes in horror as their shadows got darker, and darker, and... darker..._

 _..._

 _"Did Yong Soo respond to my letter?" North Korea tilted his head, repeating the same question he asked numerous times. Russia finally turned around, and gave him a docile like smile._

 _"Nyet. I guess he is forgetting about you. Oops! I didn't mean to say that out loud." He giggled, cover his mouth with his gloved hand. North Korea clutched the edge of his braid even tighter, his eyes wincing at the very thought. Russia 'tsk' with his tongue. "Aww... you are quite sensitive. Don't worry, I'll help you become stronger, and your brother will surely need you then."_

 _"R-really!"_

 _"Da, you're so sad that I must help you. It almost sickens me how dependent you are on that boy, he looks quite annoying."_

 _"Thank you Russia! I owe you so much..." North Korea's knees fell weak as it landed on the floor._

 _Russia felt something almost slip out of his coat pocket. Before North could see, he quickly placed it back in and chuckled. "Now Korea, go away and cut off that stupid braid of yours. I need to finish some things." North Korea nodded and dusted himself of the floor, walking out of the room. When the door clicked shut behind the Korean, Russia took out what was in his pocket._

 _"Thank goodness he didn't see this... otherwise he wouldn't fall into my plans so easily." He huffed, crumpling the letter. Russia ripped it to shreds, not a single word was audible on the teared pieces. He sighed blissfully, "It's wonderful how easily you can manipulate him. Love does crazy things to people..."_

 _North Korea heard Russia's words, but didn't quite get the entire monologue. Most of it was in Russian, and he barely knew what he said at all. However, he picked up the last phrase, and he did feel like the last sentence was correct._

 _Love did drive him mad._

 _He started scratching his wrist deeper, and deeper._

 _..._

 _"Why did Yong Soo abandon me...?" North Korea asked with a hollow crack coming up from the end of his sentence. His eyes were puffy and swollen from crying, but something in his voice showed it was static and empty. The sincerity and emotion that was once there, was gone._

 _"Maybe he got tired of you. You weren't good enough to be by his side probably... or it might've been because America brainwashed him." Russia petted his head and cooed softly, "Don't you want him to be by your side again? To be equal?"_

 _"More than anything..." He answered, his voice deepening in a low, dark tone. "I... need him... I'm so alone..."_

 _"Ah!" Russia clapped his hands happily together. "Didn't a young man by the name of... what's his name... Kim Il Sung suggest we go into the country and take it? You could be with him again... and he'll never leave you if you just take him..."_

 _"Yes... you're right..."_

 _"He's all you have!" Russia replied happily. "And without him, you aren't anything special. So it's better to go into his country and explain how it's the only way to be with him again. You see, you're only with me because I pitied you. I still like you, however South is the only one that ever truly mattered to you. What is a half without its whole anyway?"_

 _A half would be incomplete and insignificant, just like what he was. And that's all he'll ever be..._

 _..._

 _"-YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND!" South Korea cried at the top of his lungs. North Korea didn't process the words that came out of his mouth, as he tilted his head in confusion. "America was there for me! He listen to me and helped me! You're nothing like him!" He screeched._

 _The soldiers surrounded the place and South fell to his knees, not in defeat but in despair. North Korea stood in front of him, with his new dark green uniform and short hair. His eyes weren't chestnut brown, but a dark and hollow black. It wasn't full of the soft warmth South was used to. His cold new look was probably because of Russia... because of Japan._

 _"I can't trust you anymore! This isn't for me, you're just using me like Japan!"_

 _"I AM NOTHING LIKE JAPAN!" North Korea glared, gritting his teeth together. "I am doing this for you! We could be happy together if you just accepted this!"_

 _"... I won't ever accept this." South spat. "YOU'RE NOT THE BROTHER I GREW UP WITH!"_

 _North Korea felt like his mind and soul finally reached its breaking point that day._

 _He could never... ever feel that way ever again._

 _Was it normal to feel this way when you love someone? No matter what North did, he could never win back his brother's love. If this is what pain was like when someone you love hates you... he never wanted to get close to someone... he'll never..._

 _It just hurt so much..._

 _..._

"So does that answer your question? Or do you still need conformation?" North Korea asked uneasily, looking away. He noticed the crestfallen look in South's eyes, but merely waved him off. "You don't need to feel bad for me. It wasn't important."

"Y-yeah... it kinda is..." South Korea placed the whiteboard onto the table and wiped the water prickling out from the corners of his eyes with his jacket sleeve. North Korea sighed, and crossed his arms.

"What is it now? Need to pity me? Go ahead, I said all that I needed to..." He trailed off as he took another look at his brother's face again.

Tears came streaming down South Korea's face, "I-i'm sorry that I..."

He widened his eyes in surprise and stumbled back, staring at South Korea cluelessly. "What are you sorry for?" South Korea held himself up as he staggered his way towards North Korea. South Korea got down to his brother's level by sitting onto his knees, and clasped his hands onto North. The counterpart felt himself go numb, and North Korea found the courage to hesitatingly look up into his eyes. South Korea's eyes pooled with tears, pain, and guilt.

"It must have hurt a-a lot... right? To f-feel so alone..." South Korea hiccuped, his grip on North Korea's hand tightening. He suddenly burst out his feelings, the ones he kept hidden under a happy facade. He inched his head closer to North's, startling the counterpart. "Why didn't you tell me?! WHY DIDN'T YOU WANT ME TO HELP YOU?! Why did you... have to look out for me so much...?" Holding onto North's hand, it made his sleeve fall down. North Korea tried to pull back but South only clutched onto him tighter.

His gaze shifted towards the cuts on North Korea's wrist and yanked down the sleeve harshly, seeing them in full view. His eyes widened in horror. "I can't believe you!" South Korea's face soften when he turned to North. "Y-you shouldn't-"

North Korea glared at his brother before regaining his calm composure. "Yes? Well I _do it_. I don't care how much you pity me because you do not actually _give a shit_. Leave me alone."

South Korea was left speechless. What will he tell him next? What lies will he sprout to make him feel better. "... I mean it's terrible you're doing this to yourself but did you think I don't care about what's happening to you? I don't understand, and I really want to understand. It may seem like I hate you," He grabbed his twin's hand and clutched it tightly. "But really, I just don't know what's happening to you. It's easier to hate than learn."

"Dongs-s-saa..." North Korea quickly pulled his hand away from his twin. "S-stop lying..." He whispered.

"I'm not you idiot. Look at me in the eyes to see if I'm lying to you,"

North Korea was overwhelmed. He can't do it. "I can't... Stop bullshitting me just... LET ME GO!"

"Why would I let go when I see you like this?!"

"Because you don't care! You're just pitying me! YOU HATE ME!"

South Korea let go of his hand, making North Korea lose his balance. He fell on the floor while South Korea stared at him with heartbroken eyes. "I could never hate you. "W-why would you say that?" North Korea cast his eyes down, his bangs covering him.

"You know... the new Yong Soo of Korea doesn't want to deal with me anymore," He suddenly spang up, staring up at the ceiling. North Korea's eyes were hollow and blank. "The polls said that the new generation doesn't _want_ reunification... the new _you_ doesn't want to deal with corrupted trash like me... After all," North Korea sighed. "Who would want to deal with a problem like me?"

"That isn't true! You aren't a problem to me!"

"Oh really? You're always complaining about how I live in the past. Your life is great. Your a powerful nation with with a pathetic one like me hiding in the background. When you think of Korea, they think of the rich country you are. No one wants to deal with me... even yo-"

 _SLAP!_

A cold rush flew past both of them as North Korea's eyes widened in surprise. "Y-you..." South Korea gently caressed his face as the other felt water running down his cheeks. "W-what are you... doing...?"

"You aren't a problem, you aren't trash!" He stared into his golden brown colored eyes, the same as his own. "Your my precious, stupid older brother. And I'm your stupid twin..."

" _Yong... Soo_?"

"I missed you a lot... and I'm sorry." South Korea croaked. He wrapped his arms around North Korea in a warm, loving embrace. North Korea's expression faltered, reaching his hand out for South's back as they both couldn't stop crying. South Korea wailed, "I'm sorry I was too stubborn to say it! I'm sorry I made you like this! I hate myself because I never tried to understand you at all. I was so selfish, and stupid! I'm sorry for everything..." North Korea then returned the hug as his own tears soaked the others clothing.

"I'm sorry... I missed you too..."

The only sounds heard from the room were the loud sobs from two Korean brothers, as they had fixed the wounds in their relationship.

* * *

Malaysia's eyes were glued onto the screen with a dumbfounded expression. America leaned his head on his hand, with his elbow on the table. The only noise made were the mechanical electric fans and the other members of their crew sleeping, snores varying from loud to the quietest of sounds. The two had been given the same schedule to watch during this hour.

"... I feel like I just watched a Korean drama.." Malaysia muttered. America gave her a hoarse laugh.

"Yeah, it kinda of is one if you think 'bout it."

She took her gaze away from the footage, looking back at America. "... I remember a while ago you said it was your fault they were split up. Why do you think so?"

"I did? Ah I did..." He chuckled. America sighed in nostalgia and let his hands rest on his lap, kicking his feet up against the table. "It's still true though."

"But... didn't they admit they hurt each other through misunderstandings?"

"Well yeah, of course. But I'm the one who caused the misunderstandings," A bittersweet glint in his eyes confirmed he still felt guilty about the things he did. America crossed his arms and closed his eyes in thought. "I remember back then... I really hated Russia. I hated him to the point where I used South... I told him things like 'well it sounds like your brother doesn't care enough anymore!' or 'your brother is probably as corrupted as Russia'." He turned his gaze to look at Russia, who was sleeping peacefully while hugging a pillow in his arms. "I... really hurt them. I manipulated them... I'm still that way no matter what though. But I'll change and be a better hero to the people I hurt."

"... America..." Malaysia patted his shoulder softly a couple times before pulling away. She smiled at him, "I think you were a great hero today."

He stifled his small laughter. "You were a great one too."

* * *

Macau unlocked the glass door by punching in the code numbers. He was surprised when he couldn't see them come out, and not even see them at all. He tilted his head, trying to figure out where they had gone. All he heard was faint music playing.

"Uh- guys? They suddenly disappeared..."

"What?! THAT CAN'T BE TRUE!" America squealed, rushing passed him. Indonesia followed him while dragging a half-asleep Malaysia by the collar of her dress. America scanned the room and put his hands on his hips. "They must be in the closet!"

"Really? Me too!" Indonesia fake gasped, putting a hand over her mouth.

"B-be quiet... your bad jokes make me want to fight you..." Malaysia murmured in a low voice.

China popped his head from behind the glass door and raised an eyebrow. "What's the matter?"

"I don't know where the Koreas went!" America covered his eyes with his hands and wailed. "I think they're stuck in the closet!" Suddenly, Russia came from behind China and giggled in his scarf.

"Oh really? Me too!" He replied in a cheerful voice. China scrunched his nose up at him.

"I'm gonna have to kill you later after this..." He warned. Russia shrugged at the smaller man.

Malaysia struggled to get out of Indonesia's grasp. In the end, she could only be dragged onto the floor in defeat. She wasn't a very... energetic person. Rather, she was the one in the ASEAN group who liked staying in a comfortable spot at home the most. Which was why she was always so calm, because it was too tiring to be loud. She was the Greece of Southeast Asia in her opinion.

Hong Kong dragged Taiwan into the room. He walked pass America, who was about to tell him what happened but hovered a finger over his mouth. "I heard what you said." He said in his usual monotone voice. Hong Kong slammed the closet door open, which revealed South Korea had his hands on a microphone, singing in Korean. North Korea somehow got his hands on a guitar and skillfully played the instrument.

This sort of craziness inspired Malaysia to wake up fully, rubbing her eyes and staring at the scene with half-lidded eyes. The two didn't seem to notice everyone in the room was watching them.

"... What are you two doing?" Malaysia asked, yawning in between her words.

The two stopped what they were doing and turned around to their audience. They dropped the items in their hands and stomped over to them, almost in a synchronized fashion.

"WERE YOU SPYING ON US?!" They shouted. Malaysia and the rest nodded.

"Aw... I thought they wouldn't hear or see it from the closet..." South Korea pouted. North Korea shook his head and looked off to the side.

"You all are monsters for locking us in here." He muttered.

South Korea then tackled the other into a bone crushing hug, and clung onto his waist tightly. "But then we wouldn't be able to do this like we used to!" North Korea grumbled but Malaysia could tell a faint blush dusted across his cheeks.

"Nnghh- what time is it?" Taiwan muttered. Hong Kong patted her head.

"It's about seven am." He answered. She only groaned in response.

"Seven am?" South Korea widened his eyes and slapped a hand over his forehead. "Crap! I forgot I need to play League of Legends right now!" He petted North Korea's cheek gently. "I will be back brother. But the video games need me." With teary eyes, he pushed his brother off of him and ran off crying. North Korea and everyone else watched the other run out of the room with a deadpan gaze.

"What's... League of Legends? Some secret Korean organization?" He questioned.

America laughed nervously. "Well no. It's a video game."

Instead of pummeling America to the ground for speaking, North Korea actually had a warmhearted smile tug onto his lips. "Oh. Okay,"

 _'EH?! Hwan Soo... is something wrong with you or am I still half-asleep?!'_ Malaysia thought to herself.

Indonesia let out a loud yawn and let go of Malaysia's clothing to stretch out her arms. She scratched her back. "I need to go back to my house and get some beauty sleep. And I need to pack up for the plane ride home. Bye, bye." She waved tiredly at everyone, walking away.

China nodded in agreement. "I recorded a Hello Kitty marathon and I need to watch it asap. Also I think my siblings want to go to sleep too," Hong Kong and Macau looked at each other with a sleepy gaze as Taiwan already fell back into a deep slumber. Russia made his way towards the group and lifted Taiwan into his arms.

"I'll help take her home. Who wants a piggyback ride?" Hong Kong and China both asked for it, so Russia carried them both on his shoulders. Macau only staggered behind them as they fled the scene.

America laughed, "I guess its only us now! Too bad I need to go too, I want to eat my brother's morning pancakes before his bear gets them all. See ya later!" Her gave them a peace sign before heading out the door. But before he did that, Malaysia caught the American giving her a sly wink. She clenched her fist in embarrassment. He left them alone together on purpose! Stupid, nice capitalist.

"You... thank you so much..." She immediately popped out of her daze by his words, looking at the Korean. North Korea's gaze softened as he stared at her. She felt like he was more... open in a way. Like he was more calm and collected, rather than eccentric and rude. Malaysia shook her head and gave him a lighthearted smile.

"America was the one to come up with the plan. And everyone else helped out too. But I'll gladly accept your thanks, la. I tried my best to make you happy, and it worked. So... I'm very glad you can rest in peace..." She closed her eyes and hummed.

North Korea snorted, "You sound like I'm a vengeful spirit who came back from the dead to haunt you." A chuckle escaped her throat and she tried to cover her mouth. It was his turn to laugh as well.

He turned away with his eyes facing towards her. The rising sun illuminating around him with a hazy glow. A smile played across his lips, the biggest, and most beautiful one she ever saw him have. She watched closely as he blinked, his eyelashes brushes against his skin. The subtle wind blowing around them. Her gaze became infatuated with his as he opened his eyes again.

"See you later, Damia." North Korea

"G-oodybye Hwan Soo," She replied back in a shy whisper. He turned away, his hair curling against his neck. His back was faced in front of her, as she slowly watched him walk away. He became even more beautiful in her own eyes.

She felt herself tug on a section of her hair to ease herself, her breath becoming rapid and uneasy.

 _'I think I'm really in love with you..."_

And this time, she accepted it as a fact.

* * *

 **DONE! I think my writing improved slightly. Good for you all, now you don't have to cringe at what I write anymore. I think it got better because I watched this really... really good anime and I got inspiration. It's Kimi Ni Todoke if you want to know. It's not the best but I thought it was cute.**

 **So I guess the "brothers-making-up" and "finding-out-your-in-love-with-your-friend" arc is finished. Time for "trying-to-woo-a-korean" arc. Also- Singapore and Indonesia will get more significant roles later on. South Korea will too, maybe China. I'd like to include America if I can.**

 **I hope you all aren't too overwhelmed by this. I wanted to include the NK/SK dynamic so I can compare it to Malaysia and Singapore. I also really like their relationship, I couldn't help but put it in... Also I'm gonna TRY and update once every one or two weeks but I can't promise anything.**

 **If you have anything good to say, please review! And have a fantastic day. :D**


	11. The Reunion

**Waddup my dudes/dudettes/people who use gender neutral terms. I'm gonna post a lot of chapters in a week so I can make a Christmas themed one. IM SO EXCITED! So prepare for 3 chapters in one week... oh boy...**

 ***Also Singapore's human name is Jing Yi. Lee Jing Yi :3**

 **Disclaimer: Why do I even need this anyway? Okay, I don't own Hetalia so there.**

* * *

Malaysia had her suitcase packed and tucked the smooth, yet split-end hair behind her ear. Her room and overall, the entire living area she made herself comfortable in was bare and disowned. The fridge was empty as the closets were hollow and filled with nothing inside. It was fun living in a small, Japanese apartment with an automatic toilet. But she had to admit- she was feeling homesick. Malaysia could already smell the street food vendors near her at home, just waiting for her to come and get it.

Heaving out a small breath of air, Malaysia wiped the beads of sweat off her forehead and let the hand rest on his hip. She had double checked already to see if she had left anything behind, but was still fairly certain that she got all she needed.

"I guess I'm done," She remarked to herself, gripping the number of suitcases she had just filled.

A very cool breeze swept her way as she opened the door, feeling goosebumps chill her skin as Malaysia went to take a step outside. It was very obvious that the season changed from a warm summer to a mildly colder fall. It reminded her of how everything was changing while she still remained the same. It's as if she was the same person who had stepped out of the Japanese airport, who complained inside her head that she already wanted to go home.

Yes. Home. She misses it.

Instead of taking the train, she got a hold of a taxi and was able to arrive smoothly at her destination. A small twidge of embarrassment coaxed herself as Malaysia fidgeted the ends her navy blue jacket. She took a deep breath before furrowing her eyebrows in determination.

 _'Okay. It's time to say goodbye. Don't... freak out.'_ Malaysia closed her eyes as she took in the breath, before opening them again as she exhaled. She knocked on the door. It slightly parted, a small ahoge curl and an eye peeked out of the opening.

She chuckled to herself, the feeling of awkwardness washing away as it went over to North Korea instead. "Can I come in?"

The door flew open quickly as it slammed onto the wall next to it, North Korea wincing to himself at the sound it made. Malaysia couldn't stop the happy grin that appeared on her face when he scoffed and closed his eyes. What an adorable reaction.

"D-don't make fun of me," He groaned under his breath, finally looking towards the side to avoid her gaze.

She nodded, "Okay. But understand that you're the most adorable person ever," Malaysia giggled.

Red tinted North Korea's ears as he scoffed again. "I'm not adorable, you liar. By the way," He drifted off, his tone turning serious. Malaysia felt the atmosphere halt in suspense at his next words. "I don't see your usual outfit. Why is that?"

"Huh? Oh..." She realized. "I was packing up my things and accidentally put the dress and tudung inside. I was too lazy to get it out I guess, so I'm stuck with this jacket and jeans. Do you like it?"

"It's fine." He muttered. North Korea parted the door, "You can go in now,"

"It would be my pleasure."

* * *

"Can I come with you to the airport?" Malaysia asked.

North Korea threw her a look, almost as if he was confused. "Y-you want to come with me?"

"Of course! It would be very rude of me to not even say goodbye to you. Why do you think I came all the way here to see you?" She closed her eyes while nodded to herself, putting her hands on her hips. "After all, it'll be nine months until we can see each other again. I don't have anything to do, now that most of the people I hang out with are already in their homes. By the way, do you have international texting?"

He shook his head, "I don't. I thought I never needed to anyway. Besides, my leader would kill me if I even tried to ask."

"I'm not your enemy, remember? I'm sure he would let it slide if it was me," Malaysia realized her wording and immediately became flustered. "Uh- not because I'm important or anything it's just our nation relations are incredibly good, la. I could travel to your country without a visa and all so I thought he might like me and stuff." She bit her lip, subconsciously cursing to herself for being so awkward. Now that she realized her feelings for him and confirmed it to herself, it was a little hard to take in.

"Huh?" North Korea's expression was taken back by her words. "What do you mean your not important? Your one of the most important people in my life."

 _'You sure know how to be blunt!'_ Malaysia's thoughts silently screamed. _'Why is he so cute? He's just glad you helped him with everything. He doesn't actually see you more than a friends, he's just straight forward and weird like that!'_

Her heart started beating rapidly and her breath quickened. She pursed her lips as a small blush formed on her cheeks. "R-really?" She stuttered.

"Of course," He nodded. "You were so kind to someone like me, and I admire that about you. I'm so bitter, and my personality is so bland. My goal is to be as compassionate and caring as you someday,"

Malaysia deadpanned, any feelings she had for him drained out as she processed his words.

 _'Ah... I was right... this man will never see me as his equal. It's like I'll be some weird 'senpai' of his... poor me.'_

"I don't want to annoy you, but didn't you want to say goodbye to me as I leaved today?" North Korea inquired, snapping the brain dead girl out of her thoughts. Regaining her sanity, she finally understood what he said and nodded with lips pressed together.

"You aren't annoying me. I'm the one who asked if I could go with you. I should be asking you if I'm annoying you,"

"What? You aren't. You're never annoying," North Korea reassured, folding another piece of clothing into the suitcase. His shoulder length hair brushed back, being tucked in by the color of his military uniform's shirt. Malaysia had a habit of focusing onto every detail. Down to his side bangs, his beautiful chestnut brown eyes. The curve of his lips, their flushed color of pink. Allah, he was so pretty-

She shook her head while North Korea's back was turned, not noticing the girl's struggle to remain calm and casual. _'Be strong Damia! Do not get persuaded by his good looks and horrible self esteem!'_

"Are you d-done?" Malaysia asked. North Korea zipped up his suitcase and tugged it onto the floor, landing with a small 'thump'.

"Yes, as you can see I am."

"La, you're so formal to me," She chuckled, her voice pitch being higher than usual. "you're so fascinating."

North Korea's expression raised in alarm. "What am I?! Some exotic animal you can perch into a cage and examine all day?!"

Malaysia felt her face go all red as she gripped the handle of her suitcase even harder. "That was one of the most twisted things I heard you say this whole month! And you told me to torture your brother that one time!" It was North Korea's turn to get flustered, as his gaze shifted back and forth on the ground to avoid eye contact. She stiffed the chuckle escaping her mouth. Success.

"I didn't know you were trying to set me up! It's not my fault!"

"So if it wasn't your brother, you would've tortured them anyway?!"

The two continued their childish bickering all the way to the airport. It was fun to see North Korea trying to stuff in as much food into his bag as possible. They walked calming together, side by side with their walking pace matching each others perfectly. Malaysia felt the butterflies in her stomach return again, reverting her to that socially awkward position she desperately tried to hide away for his sake.

The plane was about to go soon. North Korea stood up to enter the premisis, but Malaysia blurted out more words.

"Um- don't forget about me, okay?"

Her face flushed as she realized she kept spluttering. North Korea seemed to have the same reaction. Widened eyes, parted lips. He nodded and started to run towards the plane.

North Korea boarded the plain, and bid her a quick farewell. Malaysia waved him goodbye as he turned away, going into the hall for his plane to China. She wouldn't be able to see him for another nine months... she might not even be able to contact him either... the feeling of anxiety crept her stomach. Malaysia sunk low in her seat and groaned in agony and put her head in her hands. She was always so good at embarrassing herself. In the past she overheard people say she was always so calm and poised. She snorted to herself, what a joke.

She stopped in her tracks once she felt her phone vibrate in her pocket. Malaysia dug the phone out and swiped through the apps to see what the notification was.

 _Hwan Soo: I won't forget about you. Stop muttering unnecessary things. I'll even ask my leader if we could text if you want._

She smiled to herself as she felt tears prickling at the corners of her eyes. She quickly wiped them away, but the grin still stayed with a everlasting glow.

"I really am... a cryababy..."

Malaysia quickly texted him back.

 _Damia: Yeah, I'd like that a lot._

* * *

She finally got to see him after so long.

England was the same dark, gloomy place it always was. The skies were colored a dark gray, and the wind kept blowing coldly. She remembered it was like this when she was younger, when she had visited her old 'caretakers' house. Malaysia could get used to it.

It wasn't her intention to coincidentally find him near a tree in a small park, next to the airport. Malaysia gulped to herself, thoughts of her crush on the man swirling in her head.

His mouth was tucked inside a black scarf, his eyebrows furrowing in grimace as he furiously texted on his phone. As Malaysia moved closer to him, her view suddenly became full of color, the skies dim lighting not affecting her mood as much. Something about him made her gasp in surprise, words spewing out of her mouth before she could stop them.

"You cut your hair!"

North Korea flinched and turned his head around, finding a stunned Malaysia gaping at him. His usual shoulder length hair was cut, leaving only the side bangs to curl up against his jawline. It was similar to South Korea's hair style, yet the side bangs were longer. He nodded sheepishly.

"Er- yeah. My leader kept complaining about the feminine length, so I cut it all off." He explained, twirling his side bang around his finger. "Oh well, I guess it's easier to manage now."

"Y-yeah, I guess so." Malaysia responded. A small awkward silence lasted for a couple seconds before Malaysia spoke up again. "So, who were you texting? It seemed like you were busy, la."

"Ah. I was texting Yong Soo," He answered, his gaze falling back onto his phone. "We were suppose to meet up around this time but it seemed like he isn't answering my calls or texts. I guess I should stop trying to reach him. I'm calling him too much, and he must get tired of his clingy, annoying older brother trying to latch onto him again..."

"It's not your fault if he isn't answering. And he's your brother, I'm sure you won't annoy him."

"I'm incredibly irritating though," North Korea protested. "You already know that."

"You're not irritating. It's nice to be around you," She said. For once, Malaysia told this to North willingly instead of accidentally reciting her thoughts aloud. She shook her head, "You're cool, kind of awkward but mysterious. You're every girl's dream boy." Now this was the time for her to cringe at her mistake. Malaysia didn't mean to say that part...

North Korea snorted, covering his mouth with his hand. "I'm not, but thanks."

Malaysia chuckled back in response, his cute laugh made her feel more light-headed than before. This experience with him was breath-taking. Even though texting him over the vast ocean was fun and all, it made her incredibly happy to just see him with her own two eyes again. She was glad that her initial impression on him didn't ruin their friendship... which made a sudden thought pop up in her head.

"... Hey, la. Will you hate me if I ask you a question?"

North Korea shrugged, "Depends on what you say."

She ignored his blunt comment, and took in a deep breath. "Why... do you always act so high and mighty in World Meetings. No offense, but before we were friends I thought you were this selfish, egotistic guy with high self-esteem. But now I see you're the exact opposite of that. Why do you pretend to be someone you're not? Was... that too much to ask?" Malaysia hugged herself, preparing for the worst of his answer.

When she opened her eyes, she saw North Korea thinking to himself with his hand on his chin. He looked back at her with his half-lidded eyes.

"Hmm... I'm not offended. In fact, I am a selfish, egotistic asshole. The high self-esteem part is clearly not true, so you're right about that. So to answer your question..." North Korea stopped himself, staring off to the side deep into thought. "I... I guess maybe if I act like what people see me as, I can become the person people perceive me as. Did that make any sense?"

"Ah no, it was a bit confusing. Can you rephrase that?"

"It's like... maybe if I act like I loved myself, I might trick myself into thinking I actually do. There are times when it had worked, but usually I feel a sense of self-loathing." He sighed to himself. "I apologize for rambling. I said too much,"

"You never say too much, la." Malaysia reassured, giving him a small smile. "You can tell me anything. You can even tell me what you last ate and I wouldn't mind at all!"

"It was cold noodles, if you would like to know." North Korea chuckled, his hand covering his mouth once more. Malaysia wished he would stop covering his smile, it was pretty.

Suddenly, a noise spooked them both.

"BOO!"

They both screamed in shock, North Korea dropping his phone and Malaysia's bag falling to the ground as they jumped into each others embrace for protection. A loud snicker came from behind them as the silhouette revealed to be South Korea.

"What's up?" He grinned.

"Dongsang, what are you doing?!" North Korea growled. Malaysia nodded angrily in agreement. "By the way, where were you?"

South Korea shrugged, "My flight was late because of a storm. Also, my phone battery died while I was on the plane. I guess I listened to too much music. Are you okay? You guys can stop hugging now."

Malaysia realized she was still holding North's waist, as his arms were wrapped around her shoulders. He let go, muttering a small apology under his dark colored scarf. Anger at South Korea bubbled in her chest, realizing that she missed North's warm embrace. His arms wrapped around her in a matter that screamed 'I'll protect you'. She cursed under her breath. She hated South Korea for being such a cockblock.

"Sorry Malaysia, I gotta go use him! It's sibling bonding time. See ya later!" South Korea winked, grabbing North's hand and running away from her.

 _'That damn Korean!'_ Malaysia thought. Suddenly she screamed aloud in frustration, provoking the birds fly out of trees out of fear.

* * *

"By the way hyung-nim, how did you become friends with Malaysia in the first place?" South Korea inquired casually, kicking his feet back and forth out of habit. His brother sat beside him on the wooden porch with his hands on his lap.

North Korea's face perked up, with an 'o' shaped mouth. "Huh? Oh... I kinda stalked her on a train to return her wallet."

"Eh-? You're so creepy..." South Korea laughed, his head tilting up in hysteria. The frozen treat in his hand melted off his stick, and it quickly dissolved enough for there to be nothing left. South Korea pouted as he twirled his stick around his finger. "... You seem to be really comfortable around her. I wish I could be that close to you again..." As North Korea turned around with an expression of hurt, his brother smiled sheepishly. "It's okay! I'm just a jealous younger brother. Don't worry about me-"

His words stopped as North Korea placed both of his hands on his cheeks, caressing his face with a light hold. There was a soft look in his expression and movements, almost as if he was afraid of hurting him with his touch.

"I admit that she is an important person, and without her I would've never had the courage to even look you in the eye. But that doesn't mean I never stopped caring about you," His hands made its way down South Korea's waist, leaning in to hold him in his arms. "loving you made me forget how much I hated myself. And for that, I'm so glad your in my life."

"You're too sappy today..." South Korea sniffed, returning the embrace with a tighter grip.

North Korea smiled. "I'm glad I'm 'sappy' if it makes you feel any better..."

The trees whistled in the wind, cicadas quietly humming in the distance. It felt like the old times.

And for that, he was in debt to repay Malaysia in any way he could.

* * *

Before going to their new homes, all nations had to check in the building right after their flight. It was sort of like a World Meeting almost. Malaysia did not know what to expect in this World Meeting. She was prepared for America stealing Canada's spotlight, Sealand crashing through the window, and even Thailand showing up with an elephant in the backyard. But she was left speechless when the meeting doors slammed open to reveal a pair of Korean twins. South Korea clinging onto the North with an arm slinging across the other's shoulders. His face plastered a cheery grin, even more giddy than his usual ones. But the thing that made the entire room fall silent was the fact that North Korea had a small smile, and an adoring gaze.

Malaysia felt her mind go numb as North Korea gave her a small wave, a light blush forming on his cheeks. The nations around them, even America, stood in silence.

 _'Wow... You look so pretty right now...'_ She thought to herself, biting her lip.

At the corner of her eye, she noticed something. She slightly turned her head to see Japan trembling behind Taiwan's back. Malaysia almost felt dowwnright disgusted. Probably because of what he had did to her, her friends, _Hwan Soo._ She knew he changed over the past couple of decades, but she still didn't like what he did.

"Eh-? Kiku, what's wrong?" Taiwan asked, her pitch reaching a high note. Japan only sunk lower behind her.

"N-nothing i-it's just this reminds me of a bad memory..." He wheezed. Malaysia didn't want to see impolite or rude, she had more class than that. But that still doesn't mean she could control herself very well, and rolled her eyes at the Japanese man.

North Korea strolled past Taiwan and Japan, who avoided his gaze by staring at the ground. He ignored them and walked up Malaysia. He had stopped smiling, but it didn't stop the beautiful gleam shining in his eyes. It reminded her of the stars.

He bowed down, "Thank you for all you did for me!"

"I- uh... huh?!" Malaysia couldn't help but feel embarrassed, being praised in front of everyone like some sort of goddess. North stood up straight again, a tint of red shown on his cheeks. It looked like he was bashful as well.

"You were very considerate of my feelings, so I couldn't help but think what I should do to repay you. I am eternally grateful for your service!" He shouted, his face reddening even more.

She gestured her hand at him sheepishly, "Ah no, it's okay. You deserve to be happy and I don't need anything in return-"

"Of course you do!" South Korea interfered, surprising the both of them by hugging his brother from behind. "You deserve my respect for being able to put up with him for so long. How do ya do it?"

"How dare you," He gave South Korea an intense glare, but that was a normal thing. "I raise you up, and this is the kind of bull shit you sprout on me?" North Korea growled. South Korea didn't run away in fear and petted his brother's head, Malaysia realizing she wished she was the one doing that to him.

South Korea gave out a loud giggle, "You're not my mom! We're nations and brothers, we have no parents." Then his eyes got tear like as his clutched his cheeks in horror. Malaysia and North Korea being confused by his bewildered expression, the other Korean whimpered. "Oh my god... we don't have a mom. Hwan Soo, we're orphans."

Suddenly, a certain person walked into the room. Someone Malaysia hasn't been talking to recently because her mind wandered onto other things.

The nation coughed, putting a fist over his mouth before putting it down. His glasses glinted.

Malaysia stopped her blushing act, and instead her face become more annoyed yet emotionless. Her eyebrows furrowed. "Huh? Jing Yi, what the heck are you doing here?" Her voice turned more monotone and stale. Singapore sighed and put a hand on his hip.

"Woah! Sudden personality shift!" South Korea awed. North looked slightly concerned, but chose not to say anything.

Singapore noticed North Korea's look and waved him off, "Ah, it isn't anything personal. She just pretends to be irritated by my presence as a joke."

"What are you saying. It isn't a joke. I do not like you, leave." She acted even more blunt than before. Malaysia liked doing this to try and annoy him, it was fun to do. But she'll never admit that.

"Haha, very funny Damia." Singapore mused, putting a hand under his chin. "But seriously, what's going on here? You guys have time to explain- Germany is trying to catch Italy in the front yard again for trying to sneak a cat into the meeting room. Plus the entire room is waiting for an explanation to North Korea not wanting to bomb every nation here."

" _Nuke_ every nation you mean," North Korea corrected, pointing his finger up. "I did not change at all. I am still the same person. I still want to nuke every nation here, but only slightly less than I wanted to before."

"It's because silly Malaysia here helped us with our differences!" South Korea answered excitedly, holding his brother in his embrace more tightly than before. "She was the person who helped us!"

Singapore raised one eyebrow in interest. "Really now?" North Korea nodded, still being held in South's arms.

"Yes. She is a really kind person..." North Korea mumbled, his voice being muffled by South Korea's arm sleeve. Malaysia heard the compliment and her gaze shifted towards the side.

"Ah... thank you for saying that to me..." She said. "You're kind too..." Singapore widened his eyes and looked at Malaysia, then at North Korea.

"... Hmm..." He hummed to himself. "Interesting..."

The conversation was cut short when Germany burst into the room, holding Italy and a small cat in his arms. He told everyone to sit down, still fuming at the whining Italian.

Malaysia didn't have time to think, but only about her newfound crush on North Korea. She didn't pay attention to what anyone said, even when it was North Korea's time to speak. She was too deep into thought. But she was conscious enough to see that whatever North Korea said, it surprised everyone. The meeting room didn't evolve into chaos as usual. And North Korea seemed almost calm, yet happy in some sort of way. Her mind dulled out the sounds everyone was saying... but North Korea did look nice as always...

If she was herself from a month ago, she would question her future self. Why would you even like someone as depressing and quiet as him? What is it about him that you like?

She... she couldn't exactly describe how she felt. Malaysia thought it was normal to feel more at ease, yet on the edge with him. Because he was her friend. She liked the sarcastic and blunt humor he always mumbled under his breath. She liked how calming he was behind his mask. She loved how charming he is, how fun it is to be around him. She might even love him...

Malaysia snorted. She knew the guy for a month! How could she love him? Well, he wasn't so hard to not love. After all, how could you forget how beautiful he smiles at you?

She shook her head. This was too confusing for her to comprehend. She hasn't romantically loved someone in a while, so this might mess with her head a little bit. It kinda... it kind of felt good to like someone like that after so long. She forgot how fun it was to feel like that around someone. The light and airy feeling that tingled within your stomach. It was an amazing feeling. She inhaled, then let out her breath with a soft huff. Yes... she'll play around with this 'love' idea. Maybe one day, she'll clearly understand if she loves him, or has a crush on him. Right now, she'll just wait an see. But she's certain it was love...

The meeting ended finally. North Korea went up to her, looking almost nervous about something.

"I heard of this fun activity from Yong Soo. It's called karaoke. I heard of it before but I never had someone to do it with... want to teach me right now?" North Korea avoided her gaze as his twiddled his fingers around.

Malaysia felt her heartbeat thump faster in her chest, and her breath hitched again. But she smiled, "That sounds fun. I would love to-"

"Ah, I'm sorry. But I need to ask her something real quick." She looked behind to see Singapore with a blank face. Malaysia frowned.

"Can you tell me later? I want to beat North Korea in karaoke."

"No. We need to discuss this now."

She gave North Korea an apologetic look. "I'm sorry Singapore has a stick up his ass right now. Next time, okay?" North Korea nodded in understanding, and shifted his gaze to Singapore.

"I'm sorry to bother you. See you another time," North Korea said, shifting discomfort in the creak in his voice. He walked out of the room.

As he went out, Malaysia smacked Singapore on the head. He yelped and rubbed his sore head.

"HEY! What was that for?"

"Hwan Soo is a kind, amazing, awesome guy who didn't deserve that type of treatment! Why are you so cold to him?" Malaysia huffed, glaring at him. Singapore held up his hands in defense.

"Yesh. I didn't think I was that rude."

Malaysia shouted at him, "You were! YOU WERE RUDE!"

Singapore sighed, crossing his arms at her. "See, this is why we need to talk."

"Hmm? About what?"

"To be honest... you kinda changed. It's like you and North Korea suddenly changed personalities."

"... What do you mean?" She raised an eyebrow at him crossing her arms together. "Explain."

"Well for starters, about six months ago you shouted in his defense back in Japan. And you usually stay neutral, in the background. North Korea's starting to become more mellowed out ever since you guys started hanging out. And you started to arrive at the meetings with him almost every time we went there."

"Jing Yi... are you stalking me?!" Malaysia snickered, as she pointed her finger at him while clutching her stomach. Singapore pursed his lips up and fumed in anger and embarrassment. Oh how Malaysia loved to provoke this out of someone as serious as him...

"NO! Recently I noticed North Korea has been rubbing his bad influence on you. I'm worried. You aren't usually one to yell or scream over the littlest things. And suddenly North Korea become surprisingly tame these past months. What on earth happened?"

"Honestly- you don't even need to baby me like this. I'm not your wife okay!"

"... Seriously?" He raised an eyebrow, Malaysia quickly avoiding his gaze again.

She should've kept her mouth shut. Years after splitting apart, they finally sat down and talked it out. They made a mutual agreement that they once had feelings for each other, but now felt it to be more platonic. They missed each other but they don't want to be together again. Malaysia pursed her lips into a straight line, wanting to die because of the words that slipped out of her mouth.

Singapore sighed, understanding what she felt. "Look... I'm not mad. I'm just really appalled by your weird fascination with North Korea. He seems like a nice guy, setting aside the nukes and all."

"What are you giving me, your approval?" She snorted, breaking out of her dark mood. The depressed feelings washing away as she was reminded of him. Singapore made a chuckle in response.

"I guess I am. What can I say? 'The guy who talks about killing every nation is befriending poor, defenseless Damia. Nothing is wrong here,'" Singapore mimicked, shaking his hands in the air to emphasize the phrase more. "Don't make me out to be some odd bad guy like in those Indian soap opreas."

"You watch those?" Malaysia widened an eyebrow in interest.

He pushed his glasses to bridge of his nose, glinting in response as he tried to conceal in embarrassment. "Anyway..." He trailed off, trying to stray away from the topic itself. "I'm glad you helped him. Just... try not to lose yourself over it."

"I won't, trust me. I bet if I ever fall into 'the axis of evil', America would beat me up before I could."

"And I will be there for you too. We haven't really hung out much," He shrugged to himself, lazily throwing his hands up. "so you can tell me about your weird girl troubles if you want to vent. But on one condition," His index finger held up, making Malaysia question his motives.

She felt her eye twitch, "Huh? What is it?"

Singapore opened his eyes with an intense stare.

"Let me be your wing man."

Malaysia blinked once. Then blinked twice.

 _"What?"_

* * *

 **And just to be clear, I'm gonna make a statement now. My good ol' pal Singapore here is not in the plot to be a love rival. My dude is much more than that, and I love him. So I'm not gonna make this plot irritating by adding him in like that. You, the audience, deserve better than that. Singapore deserves better than that...**

 **I'm trying to get in two more chapters in this week so I can pull a chapter up on Christmas Day. Wish me luck! Also, thank you all for supporting me throughout all of this. No matter how cringy or historically/culturally inaccurate this got, you all made me continue this story. I'm grateful for that.**

 **Feel free to input any Malaysia/Singapore/Indonesia facts since I need them lmao. I'd like to hear the readers experiences into my characters, makes them feel more alive. R & R also have a good day!**


	12. The Colleagues

**Getting back to the story, I apologize for not getting this out sooner. There's one more chapter until the Christmas special, so get ready for more. God I'm tired...**

 ***Indonesia's name is Amita** **Kartawijaya**

* * *

 _"... What?"_

"Like I said before. I want to become your wingman."

"... You're really odd sometimes, you know that?" Malaysia gave out an exasperated sigh, slouching down slightly. "I mean, I guess you can be my wingman. But why?"

Singapore gave out a small shrug. "It sounds fun. Plus, I'll get to see if he's really good enough for you."

"What are you, my mom?" Malaysia was tired. So... incredibly tired of the stuff he was trying to do. She could see why he would do something like this, since he might be bored and curious. And it's two combinations she dislikes from Singapore. It's just the fact that he might be a terrible wingman just churns her stomach. Why was she dealing with plans again? Malaysia was done with plans.

Singapore got out his phone from his back pocket and started to text. Malaysia didn't understand what was going on at all. When he finished punching in the last buttons from the keypad, he slipped the phone back into his pocket and sighed while slicking his hair back.

"Okay. I called Amita already, since this wouldn't be fun without her." He explained.

"... You what?"

Suddenly, the meeting room doors opened. A girl with a high pony tail and a blue flower tucked behind her ear heaved open the doors with a big push. Her face was flushed red while holding her phone in her hand.

"We get a chance to make fun of Damia! LET'S DO IT!" She cheered.

Malaysia groaned while Singapore hid his laughter behind his hand, trying to remain calm. After a few snorts and giggles, Singapore and Indonesia finally calmed themselves down. Singapore sat in a chair to ease himself, the laughter never truly faded away. He let his head fall onto the surface of the table. Indonesia looked away from the angry Malaysian, trying not to chuckle even more.

"Y-your face l-looks so funny!" Indonesia spluttered. Malaysia groaned in response.

"Why are you making fun of me now, la? We used to make fun of Singapore together you traitor..."

"This is payback time for making me the third wheel all the time," Singapore responded from his chair. Indonesia nodded quickly while Malaysia buried her face in her hands. Indonesia pouted at the gloomy woman, poking her cheek.

"You don't have to be depressed about it. We were just fooling around. We wouldn't dare hurt our dear family."

Singapore mumbled, "I mean I would, but Amita wouldn't." She nodded quickly again.

"Besides, we came to help you! You and North Korea are slow as caterpillars when it comes to growing your relationship. I don't mean to rush into things," Indonesia gestured towards Malaysia with her hands. "But you should like, make out already. I'm tired of watching you guys with your mushy-gushy glances in meetings. It's time to take it a step further, sis."

Malaysia never knew she would turn red as much as she did today. Her jaw dropped as random sounds started to splutter out of her mouth, just trying to say something legible. "Y-you... I don't stare at him during meetings!" She denied. Indonesia and Singapore shared a knowing glance in disbelief. Malaysia ignored them and pouted. "And besides," She started twiddling her index fingers together, casting her gaze towards the ground. "He probably doesn't like me like that anyway... he probably doesn't even see me as a friend, much less a lover!"

"Eh-? You're so hung up over him, you don't see it?" Indonesia stared her down. "You really don't see it?"

She returned her gaze towards Indonesia and gave her a confused look. "See what?"

The other just gave out a huff while Singapore started dying from laughter in his chair again. Malaysia didn't want to be made out as some dense, naive fool but she couldn't figure out what the girl meant by that.

"... Why do you think he doesn't like you in that way, _bodah_?"

Ignoring the nickname, Malaysia raised her hand up to her chin in thought. "Well... it seems like I force him into social situations too much, and I basically researched his entire life story. Would someone really like you for that?"

"But he probably never had someone try so hard for him like that!" Indonesia countered, slamming her hand on the table. "That guy should be eternally grateful for the service you've given him."

"I mean... he already said that earlier." Malaysia deadpanned. The other girl found herself deep into thought, not even Malaysia or Singapore could tell what she could be mustering under her sleeve.

Her cheerful personality shifted to a more serious look. She snapped her fingers, "I know what we should do. Jing Yi and myself could become friends with him to learn stuff he probably never tells you!" Indonesia suggested, her aura turning brighter.

Singapore finally lifted his head off the surface of the table, facing his body towards the two women. "Yeah. Sounds like the plan."

"No, no, no." Malaysia rapidly shook her head.

"What?" The man snorted. "Afraid I'll make him gay for me?"

"You're not that good looking Jingy," Indonesia teased. "Also why can't we be friends with him?"

Malaysia sprawled her hands out in front of her with widened eyes. "Because you both will ruin everything! I have no faith in any of you guys at all! Take offense please,"

"Then what are we suppose to do Damia?" Singapore asked nonchalantly. "Hide in the bushes and when he's not looking, then we push him into you so you two can make out?"

"No!" Malaysia shouted flusteredly, balling her fists from the humiliation she had received.

Singdapore held out his hands in defense, "Okay, la. I'm sorry,"

Indonesia sighed. "This is getting boring. You're not as funny when we mess with you. But Damia, please?" She clasped her hands together and pouted. "I'm begging you. You know how badly I want to get to know him. And Jingy is kind of anti-social at times. I want us to become that one cool friend group that everyone silently agrees that they're top tier. Besides, didn't you say it was North Korea's dream to make friends and not be lonely?"

Malaysia bit her thumb nail as she thought about it. _'She is right. But I'm still a bit pos_ _sessive of him. I'm being too rude I guess...'_

"Fine. You guys can be his friend." She sighed.

"Well we were gonna do it anyway, whether you approved or not." Singapore shrugged. "It's the kind of thing we do." Indonesia snickered.

"Should I get more people to join in-"

"Nope. No," Malaysia interrupted, pressing a finger on her lips. "I'm done with big, extravagant plans. This is the last one and then I'm free from this strange high school drama. Anyways, we're done here. Can we get something to eat, la? I'm starving."

Singapore clicked his tongue, "You're always hungry, _fatty._ "

"And you're always clean, _neat freak._ " She spat back, looking down at her nails uninterested. Though inside, she felt awful about what he said. Indonesia intertwined her hands with both of the two ASEAN countries and smiled.

"Come on losers, we're going shopping." Indonesia cheered.

Malaysia wondered if this was really something they were all going to do, or they were going to forget this the next day.

* * *

They all had a good time eating out at a nearby restaurant, which surprised Malaysia. The British food there wasn't as bad as England's homemade cooking anyway. Singapore commented that he needed to go grocery shopping, which resulted in the group crashing into one of the stores. After hours of rolling down the aisles in shopping carts, getting kicked out by British employees at about three restaurants, the trio decided it was finally time to go back to their temporary homes.

Her hands were full of grocery bags as she bid farewell to them. Malaysia groaned as she hauled the heavy bags in her hands, her steps becoming heavier by the second. She felt her back straining, strength decreasing. For a nation, lately her stamina hadn't been as great as it had about several years ago. Either she had to start working out, or stop herself from eating too much food again...

The weight of the grocery bags were too much for her, as she collapsed into a nearby wall- panting and wheezing from the whole ordeal. Closing her eyes in thought, she dropped her bags to the side. She really did get lazy these past couple of years. It makes her feel like old man China.

 _"Damia?!"_

Her eyes snapped open to see a worried North Korea, noses only inches apart from each other. While she opened her mouth in shock, North Korea leaned back as soon as he realized their close proximity.

"What are you doing?" North Korea raised an eyebrow.

Malaysia gulped before laughing nervously, "I accidentally bought too many groceries, and now I can't carry them all. I feel kind of stupid now..."

"Don't feel stupid. It's good to buy lots of food," He said. Then North Korea lifted his arm to a couple of the plastic bags, easily lugging them on his arms. Malaysia's jaw dropped.

"How can you do that?"

"Hm? Oh... I guess I'm pretty strong." North Korea huffed proudly. "After all, I have to train everyday to beat up the capitalist threat!"

"... You're still thinking about that?" She deadpanned. While he nodded, Malaysia exhaled to prevent herself from giggling to much. She got up and carried the rest of the bags on the floor. Once her gaze left the groceries, she noticed North Korea was staring at her intensely. It would've made her nervous usually, but North Korea wasn't as intimidating like he was before. "You okay, la?"

"I mean, where is your house? We need to drop these off anyway."

"Oh yeah, aha. Well it's..."

Malaysia told him the address, but North Korea looked surprised almost. Suddenly, he turned around and started walking away very quickly. She didn't know what was happening, but she tried to keep up the pace with him by speed walking faster. Since North Korea was ignoring her questions, this almost concerned the Malaysian...

Then she found herself in front of a house, looking similar to her own. North Korea heaved out a sigh before pointing his gaze towards hers.

"We live on the same street," He concluded.

Malaysia turned around to see her own house, just right across the alleyway. Her mouth formed an 'o' shape from the realization. She turned back to North Korea, who had a light blush dusted across his cheeks.

"I guess we can walk to meetings together too?" Malaysia chuckled. Then she widened her eyes and panicked. She made small hand gestures as North Korea stared in amusement. "Er- um, I mean if you want! I-if it's not too much trouble-"

"I'd like to walk to the meetings with you." North Korea said, snapping her out of her paranoia state. Malaysia's heart fluttered softly. "It's not a problem at all."

"Oh..." She wished she should've shown her gratitude more, but she couldn't say anything more than that. "Thank you..."

He lifted one of the bags from his wrist, danging it slightly for her to notice. "By the way, can we move this into your house? My arm is getting tired..."

"Ah, that's right." They walked over to her house. Malaysia unlocked the door as she walked inside the house, taking off her shoes. She smiled back at North Korea. "Do you want to stay? I have mooncake,"

"Sorry," He declined. This immediately concerned Malaysia, since he would normally never give up a chance to get free food. "I need to do something at my house. To just unload all of the luggage and all..."

"Oh, okay. I understand." Malaysia said, feeling a bit disappointed. As North Korea turned towards the door, Malaysia inhaled before blurting out. "Hwan Soo!"

North Korea stopped in his tracks to look back at her. His stern gaze made her gulp. "I... I want to thank you for helping me with the groceries. You're a really good friend!"

"That's all?" He raised an eyebrow.

"... Yes."

"It's not that big of a deal." He sighed, crossing his arms together. Surprisingly, he cracked a smile. "But you're welcome,"

"I mean, I'm kind of weak and fat nowadays so you practically saved my life when you came there on the road." Malaysia rambled before covering her mouth. Ah, she let out her big mouth of hers. She normally tries to stop self-deprecating, but her mouth never really listens to her anyway. If it did, then it would've saved her a whole lot of embarrassment.

North Korea twitched his eye. "You aren't weak or fat at all."

Malaysia shook her head, finally accepting that she made fun of herself again. "I tend to fake my confidence. It's just a fact! I haven't really trained my muscles since a couple years ago, and I gain weight easily. You can see how chubby I am anyway,"

"... Do you really think that way about yourself?"

"Haha..." Malaysia ignored the pitiful look he gave her. She waved him off, "I do."

North Korea pursed his lips up in annoyance before sighing. "I think you're perfectly fine the way you are. You may see yourself like that, but that doesn't mean others do. I can't say don't be too hard on yourself, I'd be a hypocrite... But I don't think being physically weak or being overweight is really that bad."

She glared at him. Malaysia became ill-tempered the moment he said that. "How is that not a bad thing?" She tried to keep herself from shouting, staring down at the floor to avoid his gaze. All those years of nations and people ridiculing her for how he dress tightly fits around her waist. How many decades of feeling embarrassed by the rolls on her stomach. And those times where she had to train by herself at home because she felt like she wasn't a very strong nation. And all that time, North Korea had the nerve to tick her off like that?

As she was about to speak, North Korea stopped her. "I think that being physically weak means you get mentally stronger. You have to think more statistically since your body won't be able to handle as much actions. And personally, I don't think overweightness is a bad thing."

"How can you say that?"

"Because being overweight is better then starving to death..." She was startled by his words as he twirled his hair around his finger. North Korea's voice was low and distant. "I don't think being overweight is horrible. So I'm sorry if I offended you..."

"No, no." She gulped. "I was being hostile..."

"Besides," He said. "Being overweight doesn't make you less prettier, or hurt anybody else. Society just thinks too much of it. So, just stay the way you are if that makes you happy."

Malaysia hadn't really thought of it like that. It's just she was already used to the entire world for judging her like that, so it was a shock to hear someone say that. Snapping out of her thoughts, she noticed that it already went dark out. "Oh, you should go home. It's pretty late."

"Okay," He said, putting on his shoes. Malaysia just bite her lip from embarrassment. North Korea turned to her, "Don't forget whaat I said."

"I won't," She smiled. He nodded as he walked out the door and onto the pavement. Malaysia sighed as she watched him go.

"He really is a good friend." She mumbled. Malaysia patted her stomach. "... I never thought of it like that..."

* * *

The next day was normal. No arguments or fights, it was just like old times. Malaysia concluded that going to the meetings together was a great idea. She liked the way his hair bounced as he took each step. And the way his eyes sparkled as he rambled on about various topics. After the meeting ended, North Korea came up to Malaysia but he was interrupted by a determined Indonesian. She promptly shook his hand and smiled.

"Hello! I'm Indonesia but call me Amita! Remember me? I was one of the people who locked you in a room with South Korea!" Malaysia resisted the urge to face palm at her actions.

"Huh? Oh... I vaguely recall you. Have we meet somewhere else before?" North Korea questioned.

"Haha, nope! First time we ever talked." Indonesia denied, patting his shoulder. He became startled by the action and flicked her hand away from him. But Indonesia persisted and held a firm grip on his shoulder. "Do you want to be friends?"

"U-uh I guess?"

Suddenly, Singapore appeared from behind him and bonked North on the head gently. "Hello. I'm sorry to intrude, but do you want to be friends also? I'm Singapore by the way."

"I mean um-" North Korea started, but ended up speechless as the two began to bombard him with questions. Like 'what was his favorite animal' or 'do they really have the Kim family's face plastered on every wall in the country?'. Malaysia wanted to help him desperately, but the two ASEAN nations were stubborn as can be.

She finally found the courage to step between those two and North Korea, placing her body in front of North Korea protectively. "Hey, don't overwhelm him. He's not used to people being interested in him,"

"Be less blunt about that Damia, that's kinda sad." Indonesia whispered not so silently. Malaysia ignored the comment and glared at them both. Then she sighed and turned to North Korea.

"These are my two... how you say... family-ish friends. We're close, but we hate each other." She explained. North Korea squinted at her, as if he was still confused by that statement.

"Be our friend! You seem like a nice guy and we're all very lonely." Indonesia confessed, raising her hand towards him. She smiled so genuinely, Malaysia wanted to crush her face between two boulders. "So what to do you say? I hope you'll be able to handle us, sometimes we get a little out of hand. You're so cool I'm afraid to even upset you, so say something if I'm being annoying-"

"You're annoying me." North Korea put bluntly.

The ASEAN trio all had a deadpanned look on their face. They were all disappointed, not Malaysia though.

Suddenly, North Korea began to laugh. "If I could handle Yong Soo, I wouldn't mind other people annoying me. As long as you aren't capitalists, we can be nice acquaintances." Singapore pointed his finger up.

"Actually-"

Indonesia covered his mouth with her hand and gave a forced smile. "Great! Welcome aboard haha."

North Korea pursed his lips and remained poker faced, unsure of what to do next. He was as still as a statue. This signaled Singapore to elbow Indonesia in her ribcage. "You went on too strong. You killed him," He whispered.

Malaysia rolled her eyes, but she was actually quite worried about him. North Korea could barely stand stand to be around people, much less welcome Singapore and Indonesia in open arms. She was sure that the guy was going to die from shock.

His eyes cast towards the ground, pressing his foot onto the carpet in anxiety. He finally had the courage to say something, "Oh... if I get too awkward or boring, don't say I didn't warn you."

Indonesia patted his shoulder, startling the Korean and making him take a step backwards. "It's okay. I get awkward. Damia gets awkward. Heck, Jing Yi right here is the definition of awkward!"

"Hey," Singapore said, furrowing his eyebrows. "What's that suppose to mean, la?" Indonesia stuck her tongue out, then went behind North Korea and wrapped her arms around his neck. Malaysia felt her eye twitch as she saw Indonesia give a little smirk as they made eye contact. She clenched her fist and looked away, her jealousy becoming even more obvious.

"It means your not as cool as you think you are," Indonesia bluntly put. North Korea bashfully grew red faced from her actions. Malaysia saw from the corner of her eye, that North Korea was raising his finger towards the girl's shirt sleeve around him.

"Um," He started, biting his lower lip from sheer embarrassment. Indonesia stopped whatever she was doing and face him, his side bangs tickling the tip of her nose. "Ca-"

"Will you get off him?" Malaysia spat, crossing her arms. She closed her eyes, "He looks really uncomfortable with you doing that,"

Indonesia blinked for a moment, then a sudden shriek escaped her lips as she let go of North Korea. He would have fallen over if Singapore didn't push him back with one hand, staring at Indonesia and Malaysia with hidden amusement in his eyes.

Singapore sighed, "So what do we do now?"

"Simple. We have coffee together!" Indonesia came back with her usually upbeat attitude. Malaysia glanced back at North Korea, who became red-faced from the whole ordeal. He wasn't used to being included in groups apparently.

"... Don't British people have tea?" inquired Singapore.

Malaysia shrugged, finally joining the conversation. "Just because stupid England likes it, doesn't mean coffee can't exist. We should get some, since you're one of the biggest coffee lovers I met in my entire life."

"Oh come on, you love it just as much as us." Indonesia laughed softly, shaking her head. "I know a good coffee place! Let's go! North?" Everyone whipped their heads towards the Korean, who was subconsciously shifting around uncomfortably in his spot. Indonesia tilted her head, "Are you coming or not?" North Korea cleared his throat.

"S-sure... but someone has to pay for me. I need to save up on money."

"I'll do it," Singapore said before Malaysia could open her mouth. She sighed in annoyance. Out of all the days Singapore became generous, today was the day to do it. "I mean it's just coffee anyway. It's not like I'm buying a whole country for him."

"But would you buy me?' Indonesia smirked.

"Hell no." Singapore snorted. The trio walked out the doors, but Malaysia stopped in her tracks and turned back to North Korea.

She frowned as he just stood there uncertainly. "Was this too overwhelming for you?" He shook his head.

"No... I just don't know how to react around them. If I'm not polite, then they'll probably get tired of me and throw me out. I can't get too emotionally attatached right now..."

"Do you feel that way about me?"

"I don't. I'm just... unsure about having friends." North Korea twirled a strand of hair around his finger, staring off to the side. "I don't want to be a burden to them."

Malaysia grabbed his hand away from his hair and held his wrist firmly. He snapped his gaze back on her and his face immediately flushed in response. Malaysia held back a chuckle, since this seemed so cute to see him so... innocent.

"Don't be overdramatic. If I say they're going to like you, they're going to like you. And they do," Malaysia smiled. She pulled him out the door, "Come on, you need some free coffee." She saw his lips turn up into a faint smile.

"Mmm... okay." He muttered.

* * *

Chaos took place at the cafe. Indonesia was being too noisy, which was deemed unusual in Malaysia's eyes. She was normally polite in public. Malaysia guessed her eccentric behavior was reserved for North Korea to feel more comfortable. It was an odd way of thinking, but it worked. North Korea seemed less tense and more relaxed. And Singapore was surprisingly more talkative. Malaysia was almost concerned about how professional they were about this new 'friendship'.

Singapore had to leave early for a trade meeting. And Indonesia just wanted to go home before the sun went down. Malaysia waved her goodbye as she left the scene, North Korea drinking his third cup of coffee in peace. It was such a pleasant setting... just the two of them. Before she knew it, they had both sat in silence as the stars came out in the night.

"You're a really kind person, aren't you?" North Korea inquired. As he asked the question, she noticed the cold breath of air escape his lips. It was easier to notice, since it was almost dark outside. Malaysia pushed those thoughts away and chuckled nervously at his comment.

"I'm really not." She took a sip from the warm cup in her hands, watching the steam rise from it. "What makes you say something like that?"

"You can tell what my mood is like, and you always try to make me feel comfortable. That's kind of you," He explained. It was only for a couple seconds, but Malaysia caught a glimpse of a soft smile as his expression. "I'm the one who isn't kind."

"It's... just what friends are for," Malaysia said, cringing at the words that spilled out of her mouth. The word 'friend' seemed to irritate her. "It's just you seem to really hate physical contact. Except when it comes to me of course," She immediately pressed her lips together in a thin line, mentally kicking herself for saying it. She looked back North Korea, who held a similar expression to her own.

Inaudible words scattered from her throat as she widened her eyes in horror. Malaysia bashfully gestured her hand, "I m-mean I don't really mean to sound cocky or anything like t-that!" She tried to explain. "I just notice y-you like my touches... not sexually though!"

Malaysia wanted to impale herself with a sword at this moment in time.

"Well yeah," He admitted, his gaze fixated at his drink. "I usually hate that kind of stuff. But it doesn't feel... _bad_ when you do it."

"... Oh..." She trailed off, twirling the mixing stick in her coffee. Malaysia didn't know how to respond to that exactly.

"Yeah..."

 _'Im Hwan Soo of North Korea,'_ She thought to herself. _'The king of awkwardness himself.'_

"Also," He started off, sipping his drink before continuing. "Indonesia and Singapore seem like nice people. I wouldn't want to scare them off, so I had to restrain myself from punching their faces whenever they teased or touched me."

"Ohhhh. So that explains your initial awkwardness around them," Malaysia awed. "The real Hwan Soo would never let anyone touch him."

"I guess you could say that," North Korea said, making Malaysia regret her words again. "You don't think I'm that cold, do you?"

"Of course not!"

"Well, you're wrong. I am that cold-hearted."

She was left speechless once again. North Korea got up from his seat and went towards one of the trashcans nearby. Malaysia assumed he had finished his drink, so she was left to ponder in her own thoughts. A sudden question popped in her mind as North Korea came back.

He noticed the poker faced expression she held and asked, "What's wrong?"

"Huh? Nothing is really wrong, aha. Why do you ask?"

"You looked a little strange," He commented bluntly, causing a part of her own heart to wrenched. Malaysia noted to herself that she should start practicing her neutral facial expressions more often. "And I don't like asking if you're okay, since you'll say 'I'm fine' when really you aren't fine at all."

"... That's a really good point, la."

North Korea shrugged. "I only stated the truth. Are you finished with that?" He pointed at her coffee, which had turned cold and bitter over time. She nodded. "Want me to throw that out for you?"

"I'm okay," She said, getting up from her seat and strapped her handbag over her shoulder. "We should head back. I'm getting tired already," This caused North Korea to snort.

"I get tired but I can't sleep at all."

"Is it the insomnia?" She joked. He tilted his head to the side and gave her a puzzled look.

"What is an insomnia? A type of food?"

"... Nevermind... we should go to bed at least."

Outside the cafe, was a dark night sky. They really did stay too late. Malaysia sighed, and buried her nose in her collar. North Korea noticed her face all scrunched up, and asked what was wrong again. She thought about telling him she was fine, but remembered his words from back then. Malaysia looked at him from the corner of her eye, stuffing her hands in her coats pockets.

"Well... I can't stand cold. I hate it when my nose gets too chilly. I'm kind of sensitive, aren't I?" She shrugged, forcing out a small chuckle.

Malaysia opened her eyes to find North Korea staring at her with a nonchalant look. She was about to question him, but was taken back by the scarf that had been wrapped around her face. Malaysia pulled down on the cloth to gain her vision back, and her eyes landed on a sheepish North Korea. His gaze was towards the foot digging into the snowy ground.

"... I-"

"I just wanted you to stop complaining, that's all." North Korea interrupted. He wouldn't even look at her.

She shook her head, but smiled anyway. "Thank you, Hwan Soo." Malaysia didn't stop herself, as she leaned forward to cup her hands around his face. Her heart beat started to rapidly grow as she gave him an endearing look. "You're really kind,"

His lips were parted, almost as if North Korea wanted to say something but the words couldn't come out. He reached his hand toward her own that was resting on his cheek, her heart beating faster with each second that went by. The moment his fingertips touched her skin, fireworks had set off already. Her smile began to grow even wider.

Then he lifted her hand off his cheek.

Malaysia's eyes turned wide as her hand fell towards her side. North Korea coughed as the ever lasting silence between them continued on.

She hid her mortified look in the scarf that was given to her, but moved the cloth down to her chin so she could speak after a while. "So... do you need this scarf back?"

"No," He said almost immediately. "I... I'm used to living in a cold climate, unlike you. You need it more than me."

"So is this like a present?" She smiled eerily, waiting anxiously for his response.

"Maybe. You can give it back whenever you want. I never said you had to give it back, but you can." He shrugged.

Finally, they reached their respective street. Living across each other should've been more fun, but it only made it more nervewrecking for Malaysia.

She saluted him off, as her body turned towards her door. "See you tomorrow Hwan Soo," He saluted her back, but made no sound other than his footsteps as he left to his own building.

Malaysia pushed the key into the lock and turned the door open, before locking it again. She hit her head on the door and groaned.

"Why... did I have to touch him?" She asked, wanting to know the answer herself. Malaysia's bag slid out of her hand and she staggered towards her bed, kicking off her shoes behind her. But she couldn't even make it to the bed, as her own guilt and sorrow made her knees fall weak. Malaysia slowly dropped to the floor, and fell to her side. She hid her face in embarrassment before moaning once more.

 _'If I hadn't done that, then our walk home wouldn't have been so awkward. Stupid Damia!'_ She hit her head again, this time with her fist.

Her mouth made contact with the fabric around her neck, huddling it in warmth. Malaysia gently tugged off the wool and stared at the red cloth in her hands, unsure of what else to do.

Instead, she buried her face in it as small tears prickled out of the corners of her eyes. She was so embarrassed. She had already crossed so many boundaries with North Korea, and now she was sobbing in her own crush's scarf.

Malaysia wiped the rest of her tears with her shirt sleeve and held the scarf close to her once more. It comforted her. The smell of him, the warmth it had given her, she loved it so much and she didn't even know why.

When he pushed her hand away from him, it just made her think. Think of the possibility that he didn't love her in that way at all. That in his mind, they could only barely be considered 'friends'. She wanted to get closer to him, get to know him more, earn his trust, and be there for him. And with all those things, in return he would do the same.

Love, she remembered, is a very conflicting feeling that she was weak willed to.

* * *

 **I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, cause I sure didn't. I just want them to make out already but... slow burn...**

 **Anyway, the Christmas special is going to be really good. It's gonna speed things up...probably. This story will probably be around 20-25 chapters long, so we're just halfway there. I'll keep it coming guys!**

 **If you want, review your criticism and compliments on the story! I really appreciate it! 3**


	13. The Bonding

**The long awaited beach episode has finally come to haunt yall. I planned this from the moment I started writing this... I mean, it's not very long but it's kind of there. It's not even at the beach... why does my setting have to be in the middle of London D:**

 **Also I have no need for disclaimers anymore so just enjoy the story.**

* * *

 ** _"-Hello? C... an you hear me?"_**

 _No I don't... let me sleep._

 ** _"Hey... wake up... are you listen...ing...?"_**

 _Go away... whoever you are... sleep is more important... zzz..._

 ** _"Damia?"_**

A soft push. A gentle nudge. That's how you described the feeling of Malaysia's right shoulder being shaken awake.

She had to blink a couple times with her eyes closed before finally giving into the mysterious, tranquil voice that tried to make her break out of her dreamland. The voice she heard felt so calm, yet stern enough to rouse herself from her slumber. It was annoying to her to keep hearing it on repeat, but maybe it would've been better if the voice was singing instead of yapping at her to wake up.

Malaysia slowly opened one eye, then the other soon followed once she saw a downwards curl in front of her. And a very concerned face.

"... H.. wan Soo...? What are you doing here?"

Before he could answer, Indonesia pushed him off the bed and took his place on the spot cheerfully. Malaysia groaned as she buried her face in the pillow underneath her. Indonesia gave a clumsy smile as she stuck her tongue out.

"I forced Germany to tell me where North Korea lived. I visited North earlier because of an idea I had. And it just so happens that he told me he lived right across the street from you! So we both marched here and came to surprise you! Are you surprised?"

"Yes. Defiantly," Malaysia deadpanned. She focused her gaze on North Korea, who was dusting himself off from being pushed onto the floor. "Are you okay, la?"

"Well, I won't die." North Korea shrugged, his concern and elegance faded as he had gave a more nonchalant and unfazed look.

"Can we tour around London? It'll be a great bonding experience for us all!" Indonesia glimmered with happiness. Malaysia had to blink a couple times before rubbing her eyes. She was so tired of Indonesia's shenanigans sometimes. Indonesia pointed her finger at Malaysia. "You lazy bum! Get dressed, we're gonna get Jing Yi next!"

After Malaysia got dressed, cooked herself some breakfast for herself and the other two, they all went over to Singapore's house. Indonesia kicked the door down, which surprised both North Korea and Malaysia. The only explanation they received was that Indonesia has been training to get stronger, as she winked and stuck her tongue out playfully. Malaysia should really start working out as well...

Indonesia grabbed two pan lids and marched over to Singapore's room. He was sound asleep, his glasses on the night stand. Malaysia and North Korea peered anxiously from the doorway as Indonesia lifted the two lids.

"WAKE UP!" She screeched. Malaysia winced from the loud voice.

"ARGHHHH!" Singapore immediately sat up, putting on his glasses. He coughed as he turned to the source of the sound. His facial features ceased from shock to irritated as he peered at Indonesia. "Amita... and you two over there. What are you doing?"

Malaysia and North Korea stepped into the room, avoiding the question and his gaze. They both whistled in innocence while glancing at their surroundings. Indonesia set down the pan lids and put her hands on her hips.

She huffed in haughtiness, "We're inviting you to go on a eventful trip in London. Are you in?"

"No." He sneered. Surprisingly, Singapore blew a raspberry at her. It was a good thing he was just being moody, and not pissed off, Malaysia thought to herself.

Indonesia's jaw dropped, putting and hand up to her mouth. "What-? Why not?"

"It's not all that great, la." He said, pushed up his glasses up the bridge of his nose. "It's cold, wet, and gloomy. I hate England."

"And the food is _terrible_!" Malaysia shook her head. "Every time I see a scone I want to _barf_ ," North Korea gave her a confused look.

"Really? It's not that bad,"

"Have you been living under a rock, la?" Singapore chuckled, with an exhausted expression on his face. He returned back to his original features. "But in all seriousness, are we going to buy stuff on that trip? It's almost Christmas, and I just want to buy all the presents so all of you won't complain about not getting one. We need to shop, asap. No matter how much I hate going out or how terrible London's atmosphere is."

"All of us? You're including me...?" North Korea asked uncertainly.

Singapore nodded. "Yeah. I'm going to buy you a present, but first we're going to have to get to know each other first. Is that alright by you?"

"Y-yes..." North Korea replied, stroking one of his hair bangs from anxiety. "... Thanks..."

"While touring London, we can all buy Christmas gifts for each other. And we can celebrate it at one of our houses. Yahoo!" Indonesia pumped her fist in the air with a cheery grin. "Let's get you ready, Jing Yi. You smell like bad B.O. today!"

As she pulled Singapore out the door by the collar of his nightshirt, Malaysia and North Korea were left alone together. North Korea turned his head towards her as Malaysia let out an uneasy laugh and smiled.

"You don't have to get me anything. After all, you don't have much money anyway. It's fine, la." Malaysia reassured him in a joking manner.

Suddenly, a dark glare was directed towards her as North Korea spat out his words, "I have _enough_."

Then Malaysia nervously tightly gripped the hem of her clothing and bit her lip. _'I defiantly messed up. What was I thinking? That's just plain offensive! NO one wants to be reminded of what their financial situation is like. Kyaa, Allah please punish me this is horrible... I'm a horrible person. Why did I have to say that...?'_

But his expression softened when he noticed her shaking. "Damia I... I-i'm sorry."

She shook her head, "No it's fine-"

He grabbed her hand swiftly and held it with both of his own hands. Malaysia stared at him with complete disbelief as North Korea rubbed his thumb on her skin. His eyes were cast down to their conjoined hands.

"I'm an asshole," He started, a visible blush appearing on his cheeks. "Sometimes I can be too blunt, and I really don't know when to stop my words from spilling out. So um, I hope I didn't hurt you as much as I saw it did. Feel free to slap me anytime," North Korea licked his chapped, pale lips for a moment as Malaysia watched in astonishment. He continued, "Do I really hurt you like that?"

"W-well..." She gulped. "I don't want to l-lie... but don't all people get hurt in strong relationships?"

"... I guess you're right," He exhaled, his warm breath tickling her skin. "I just want to make sure I don't mess up this one... I wouldn't want to lose you over something I did."

Malaysia lifted her other hand onto conjoined hands, and gripped it tightly. It was North Korea's turn to widened his eyes in shock while Malaysia smiled nervously. "If I left you for something like that, would we really be considered friends? I like you a lot," She almost wanted to take back her words, but pressed forward. She leaned forward, centimeters away from his surprised face. Her heart raced as her breath quickened. "And I want you to know that from the bottom of my heart, I'm truly in love w-"

"YOU GUYS!" Indonesia slammed the door open, causing North Korea to immediately let go of her hands. Malaysia twitched her eye in exasperation as Singapore walked in whilst combing his untidy hair. Indonesia whistled, "What were you all doing when we were gone?"

"Nothing special!" Malaysia denied, gesturing her hands in front of her. "We talked about food!"

North Korea chocked, but quickly wiped his mouth once he saw people staring. Malaysia raised an eye brow at his sudden choke, but he turned away with a tint of red on his ear tips.

"Damia," hissed Indonesia as she bumped her elbow into her ribs. "There's no way he'll like you if all you do is talk about food!"

 _'Tell me about it.'_ Malaysia silently laughed about the situation in her mind.

Singapore crossed her arms and sighed, leaning against the doorway for support. "Hey, can we go already? I got dressed up and everything..."

"Oh right," North Korea muttered. "I forgot you existed for a second."

Malaysia's mouth dropped open as Singapore gave him a sarcastic 'thanks'. Indonesia thankfully ignored that comment, as she was in her own little world at the moment. She made her way towards the door, with everyone else trailing behind her.

"So where are we going?" Malaysia asked as she closed the door.

"We're going to that nearby mall! We'll all take a cab there," Indonesia explained.

"Hey, wait a minute." Malaysia spoke with impassiveness, squinting at her in disbelief. "Do you even know where it is?"

"Yeah, yeah. I have a map and everything." Indonesia stopped in her tracks as she pulled out a folded piece of the paper the size of her palm. As she unfolded it, the paper grew bigger, and bigger. North Korea and Malaysia had eyes as wide as saucers while Singapore only shook his head in response. He wasn't very amused.

"Do you even know how to read that thing? Let me help-"

Indonesia slapped away Singapore's hand as her eyes focused on the map in front of her, which was bigger than half of her body. Malaysia's mouth formed an 'o' shaped at the girl. Indonesia's eyes were so determined and persistent... she didn't have the heart to tell her that the map was upside down. Malaysia glanced over to North Korea, who could easily tell the paper wasn't being read correctly.

"Actually-" Singapore clamped his hand over North Korea's mouth. He winced at the physical contact, but Singapore held a finger over his lips with a small 'shh'.

"Just humor her a little. She'll get mad if we point it out," Singapore whispered in North's ear. It was loud enough for Malaysia to hear, but not enough for Indonesia to notice. Singapore quickly lifted his hand off North Korea's mouth, who began to wipe away the 'germs' left behind from him. Malaysia silently took note that North Korea's lips looked _really_ kissable at the moment. As cliche as it had sounded, it was true. North Korea finished rubbing his face and glanced back at Malaysia, who noticed her staring at him. She quickly looked away, flustered about what had happened.

"I'll call a cab and we can go to... Westfield mall in London." Indonesia said after a while, completely ignoring her surroundings. She began to walk off, with the group frantically trying to catch up with her.

Her foot almost stepped out onto the road while a truck was about to cross it. Malaysia felt her heart stop as she tried to reach out to grab Indonesia. Instead, North Korea pulled Indonesia back by grabbing the back of her shirt.

"Hey, be more careful or else you're going to die." North Korea scolded, eyebrows furrowing. He let go of her shirt and tilted his head to the side. "Are you normally that clutzy?"

Indonesia giggled softly as she lifted her hand behind her neck. "Yeah, I am. Thanks for saving me!"

"No problem..."

Singapore, and which was probably for the tenth time that day, sighed again at Indonesia. "What he said. Please take it seriously and don't die..."

"I won't!"

"Aw, I'm disappointed." Malaysia muttered, kicking her foot at the ground. "If Indonesia died, then I could take all the nasi lemak she has and I won't have any competition."

Indonesia raised an eyebrow at the comment. "Why are you being... extra salty today?"

"Salty?" Malaysia and North Korea asked in sync. Indonesia shook her head.

"Meh, doesn't matter." She shrugged. Malaysia looked around and found Singapore no where to be seen. Which was odd, considering he was here about three minutes ago. As she was about to point that out, Singapore has appeared by jogging back to the group. He collapsed her hands to his knees while he panted.

"I found a cab," He said in between breathes. Singapore pointed in the direction of the supposed car, the driver being a middle-aged British man with a large belly. They all walked to the cab as Malaysia tugged on Singapore's jacket, trying to get him back to the vehicle without collapsing in front of her. She felt like she was his mom, trying to push him to get better. Maybe he was so out of breath from the lack of exercise he hadn't been getting.

The seating arrangements were North Korea, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Singapore in that order. Indonesia told the driver the location. On the way there, Malaysia had joined in on a conversation with the two ASEAN countries. She missed talking about random stories or small inside jokes with them, and it made her guilty that they didn't spend any time together last year. Besides Indonesia, Malaysia wondered what Singapore did in Japan while they were there. Did he know about her Korean drama plans...? That was something she would never know.

"Are you okay?" Malaysia snapped out of her thoughts as Indonesia asked North Korea that question. The entire car ride he was silent, and stared down at his twiddling fingers. Indonesia tilted her head, "Did you want to say something?"

North Korea's head bounced back up as his face became awkward and flustered. "I uh- I'm just not used to this sort of thing."

"Being around talkative people?"

"Mmm... something like that."

Malaysia felt a pang of guilt. She wished she had noticed North Korea's dilemma earlier. He seemed like he wanted to fit in with everyone else, but he just didn't know how to. She could easily tell he was trying really hard to become friends with her family. Her lips formed into a frown as the car of the road started to bump more, to the point where the seats started to make her bounce in place.

Suddenly, the car stopped to a halt. The impact made Malaysia fall into North Korea's lap and face plant into the door's interior. Her nose stung in pain as she laid down in North Korea's lap, groaning from her pain.

North Korea was unsure of what to do as Indonesia and Singapore slid down on them, crushing North Korea against the door. The cab driver paid no mind to them as he held his hand out. "I want my money."

Singapore grumbled as he bitterly gave the driver his bills, not wanting to pay the man at all. North Korea's face was squished onto the glass. He had to pat the door's handle before finally reaching it, pulling the knob and falling out of the car with the rest of his group. Singapore was the least damaged, since he had sat on the other side of the car. Indonesia had already pushed Singapore off herself so she wouldn't be crushed by him. North Korea and Malaysia weren't so lucky...

North Korea shyly poked Malaysia's cheek as she laid lifelessly on his lap. The cab already drove away and Singapore already fled the scene while Indonesia looked around.

"Damia? Damia? Dam... dammit I think she's dead." North Korea murmured to himself, still poking her cheek.

Malaysia stirred on his lap, and finally rubbed one of her eyes. She yawned and sat up from his lap, sitting beside him on her knees. "What happened?"

"You hit your head when the driver stopped the car. I was ready to punch the guy but you were laying on me so he drove away before I could."

"... What?!" Malaysia's eyes widened in panic. "Did I do anything weird?!"

"No. You just slept on my lap. Honestly you were so motionless, I thought you had died."

"Oh..." Malaysia blushed red from embarrassment. Now more than ever, she wanted to get hit by a car. Every time she gets stuck in these humiliating situations where she has to explain herself in front of the love of her life, she felt the need to imagine herself getting stabbed in the stomach. These ridiculous high school scenarios absolutely humiliated her at times.

"... Damia, I have a question." North Korea avoided her gaze as he twirled a strand of hair with his finger.

Malaysia gulped. "What is it?"

"... What did you mean earlier when you said 'I'm truly in love'?" North Korea inquired, biting his lip. "I still don't get what you were trying to say back at Singapore's house?"

"T-that thing I said, la?!" Malaysia laughed nervously, scratching the back of her head. "Truthfully... I wanted to say I'm truly in love with how strong our friendship is! We really are good friends. Yes, good friends!"

"... Oh..." was all North Korea could say.

Malaysia was saved from this awkward scenario when Singapore came walking back pointing his thumb at a mortified Indonesia. "Hey guys, Indonesia got us at the wrong location." He explained. She blankly stared out at the crystal clear river, blue waves crashing against the cement shorelines. Malaysia looked up at a nearby ferris wheel next to the river and and her eyes became half-lidded.

"Huh." Malaysia snorted. Indonesia was silent for a moment, and turned around with a fake smile on her face.

"So... we went to wrong way..." She said.

"Yeah..." North Korea sighed as he crossed his arms.

"... Maybe we can pass the time by trying to swim here!" Malaysia became taken back by the sudden bounce of energy flowing within Indonesia. Her eyes were full of swirls and Malaysia even saw Indonesia drool a bit. "It doesn't matter! WE CAN SWIM!"

Malaysia raised an eyebrow at the girl who ran down to the river, and splashed some of the water crashing back on shore. Indonesia had some sort of crazed look in her eye. This was probably because she felt so embarrassed about getting to the wrong destination that her mind was fumbling all over the place, trying to forget her past mistakes. Malaysia almost felt bad for her.

"Amita's gone crazy..." Singapore concluded after a while. North Korea could only nod in agreement.

"... Do you want me to read the map?" Malaysia asked as Indonesia stared out onto the large river. The water had a beautiful texture that almost matched the ocean's view. Indonesia sighed and mumbled a small 'no' before standing back up.

"Sorry for acting a little weird earlier. I just hate being wrong, so I became kind of deranged in the moment!" Indonesia explained, walking off quickly before she could meet anyone in the eyes.

Malaysia knew that this had caused even more embarrassment for Indonesia, who wanted to get as far away from everyone as possible.

"... Does she like the water that much?" North Korea asked.

Singapore shook his head. "She just used that as a distraction to forget how dorky she is."

"... I'd like to go to the ocean with you all someday..." North Korea said after a while. "... I'll go to Indonesia." In the same manner of Indonesia, he walked off to avoid looking flustered in front of them. Singapore turned to Malaysia and chuckled.

He put a hand under his chin, and elbow supporting the arm. "Your taste in men isn't that bad. He can be kind of cute,"

Malaysia shoved him off. "Be quiet, la. Don't try to steal him away from me."

Singapore whistled mockingly, putting his hands in his coat pocket. "Don't worry, I won't. I'm not into romantic relationships at the moment. I prefer my alone time over that."

Indonesia called them to a new cab and yelled excitedly at them. They hurried over to the car, squishing together in the supposed three seated cab. Indonesia and Singapore on the sidelines while North Korea and Malaysia were sandwiched in between them.

"North Korea showed me how to read the map correctly! He said I was holding the thing upside down." Her eyes were bright again, a tint of red forming on her cheeks. Indonesia's face was full of adoration as she clasped her hands to look up at North Korea in awe. "May I call you Hwan Soo?"

"Huh-? Sure..." He avoided her gaze, sinking lower in his seat.

"Maybe I'll call you that one day," Singapore reached his arm over to Malaysia's head, to gently pat North Korea's head. North Korea immediately slapped his hand away out of defense.

"S-sure..." North Korea blushed.

Indonesia lazily scrolled through her feed on her phone before erupting into a huge mess, shaking the North Korean next to her. She became speechless but tried to splutter out as many words as possible.

"Amita?! What are you doing?!" Malaysia shouted. Even Singapore seemed confused, and slightly worried.

"NEW EPISODE CAME OUT!" Indonesia screeched. The driver told her to shut up but her mind and body wouldn't ease over the excitement. "My favorite show... a new episode... yay..." She sighed blissfully. Seeing the sweet, cheerful look on her face made Malaysia smile. It was good that she was feeling a lot better than before. A wave of relief washed over Malaysia's face as she giggled at the excited puppy that Indonesia was.

"What's the show called?" North Korea inquired.

"Yuri On Ice!" Indonesia shouted with starry eyes. "It's a show about ice skating and the healthy love between two men."

This sparked everyone to start talking to each other. Malaysia was rather happy when they all engaged into a fun, light-hearted conversation about their favorite TV shows. When Indonesia was done rambling about how 'beautiful' anime was, Malaysia explained her passion for shows like the X-Files and mindless sitcoms. Singapore begrudgingly admitted he had really liked Indian dramas since it 'kept him on the edge'. What surprised everyone the most was when North Korea confessed he used to smuggle South Korean dramas from the blackmarket and watched it in secret from the government. This made Singapore and North Korea connect on an emotional level more somehow.

The car ride was rather short, and they all finally found their original destination. The building was large, and Malaysia couldn't believe how big a mall can be. They all split up to find each other the perfect gifts.

Malaysia tried to ignore the salesmen who kept pushing cheap perfume products in her face as she waltzed through the mall, a wave of exhaustion finally overcoming her. She had already found the perfects gifts for Indonesia and Singapore since she knew them so well, but North Korea was rather hard to differentiate. She tried to think of his likes and dislikes.

"Okay..." She muttered to herself, setting down her shopping bags as she sat down on the edge of a stone fountain. "Dislikes... Japan, capitalists, fake people, liars. Likes... he likes food, his brother, people noticing him..." Malaysia smiled at the thought of him being comfortable around others. This wasn't the usual possessive and jealous tendency of hers, but rather she wanted him to feel happy. "Having friends, the beach... he loves beautiful things..."

Her eyes widened at the sudden realization. North Korea loves beautiful things, which reminded her that he was an artist. But he didn't have the greatest drawing supplies, since hi sketch of her was on cheap lined notebook paper. She knew exactly what to get him now.

She rushed to a nearby art supply store, and grabbed the most high quality supplies they had. Malaysia tapped her foot impatiently at the check out counter as the employee scanned the thick sketchbook and expensive markers. She ran out of the store with the things she bought, satisfied with all the presents she had bought.

"Now all I need to do is find them all-"

Malaysia was interrupted by someone crashing into her. Her stuff went flying out of her hands as the person toppled over her, locking her under the person's feminine frame. She clicked her tongue in annoyance as Indonesia gave her a sheepish smile.

"H-hey there Damia..."

"Get off dummy."

"Okay," Indonesia lifted herself off the girl, Malaysia dusting herself off from the impact. Indonesia frantically scanned her surroundings, and sighed in relief. Malaysia sighed as she stood up to cross her arms.

"What did you do now?"

"I accidentally broke a figurine in a store, and when they asked me to pay for it, I ran." Indonesia nervously giggled, putting both her arms up in some sort of a shrug. Malaysia only shook her head in response. Then, she noticed from the corner of her eye that Singapore and North Korea came back. They walked up to the duo as Singapore waved at them.

"I'm done shopping. Can we go now?"

"YES!" Indonesia shouted. She covered her mouth with her hand and inhaled, lifting it off and regained her composure. "Yes..."

North Korea tilted his head in confusion. "Did something happen?"

Indonesia dismissed him with a hand gesture. "I'm fine." She said, Malaysia shaking her head. She put a hand over her hip and laughed softly. "I just got into a little trouble with the security guards, that's all." North Korea nodded.

"I completely understand how you feel. I too, am used to getting kicked out by store managers. Let's go then," And just as they were about to leave, a nearby security guard held a walkie talkie up to his ear as he pointed his finger at the group. And before Malaysia could even grasp the situation, she was running like her life depended on it. She was the slowest runner, but she still made it to the cab on time. The entire group was a exhausted mess, wheezing from the chase as they tried to regain their breath.

They were all too tired to talk. The cab driver, a woman in her late twenties with sleek black hair, pulled over after about twenty minutes of driving. She held out her hand as she gave a warm smile. "Pay up."

"We didn't tell you were to go." Singapore said. The woman laughed.

"Don't worry, you'll thank me for going here." Singapore exhaled softly. He turned her Indonesia, who had a quiet poker face the entire care ride. "It's your turn to pay it, you caused us a lot of trouble." Indonesia shrugged, but she was being fussy about it.

"It's not like it was my fault..." She muttered, handing over the currency to the driver.

North Korea opened the door and got out. Malaysia heard a light gasp from him, and got up from her seat to found out what he saw. She gaped at the beautiful view in front of her.

The large sign that said 'Winter Wonderland' had certainly caught their attention at first. It was big, over their heads, and it dazzled brightly under the setting sun. The string sensory elements of the place made her feel light and airy. But the festival was so large. Malaysia could see booths of games, arts, and gift shops from all over. She fell in love with this place at first sight. She could tell her family felt the same when they stepped out the cab and viewed the place in awe.

"We should split up. I need some time to myself..." Indonesia trailed off, rubbing her foot on the ground. Singapore shook his head.

"No. I'm going with you, you big crybaby. I can't leave you alone if you're like this." He said, patting her head. She snorted and pushed him away playfully.

"Okay, fine mom. But I'll be spending all your money if you want to be around me." Singapore cringed at the thought, Malaysia noticing the huge amount of discomfort that brought to him. Be he inhaled and held his solemn expression. Family was more important than money. She knew that was what Singapore was thinking in his mind.

"Whatever. Just don't be so hard on yourself today. Or else, I'll have to keep your Christmas gift to myself." Singapore warned.

They walked off into the crowd, Malaysia losing sight of them immediately. She smiled, knowing that Singapore will probably cheer Indonesia up with some cotton candy, or some odd festival food like that. She turned to North Korea and laughed.

"Amita is sensitive, but I think she'll get better."

"You really know her well..." North Korea said so quietly, the crowds behind him almost blurred his words. "I wish I can get to know her that well too. By the way, are those two in a relationship?"

Complete and utter disbelief washed down Malaysia's expression, as she stared at him in alarm. "Huh? Jing Yi and Amita? No way. That'd never work out at all. They're like family to each other! I don't even think they'd get together if it was the end of the world."

"Then..." North Korea put his hand under his chin in thought. "Do you like either of them?"

She was left speechless for a moment as North Korea sneezed with a small 'achoo!'. Malaysia didn't know what to say about any of this... and he was probably cold since she took his only scarf.

"Of... of course not! Well I had a one time thing with Jing Yi, but that was because England kind of pushed us into marriage! And Amita defiantly doesn't like me in that way, vice versa. There's nothing romantic at all!" Malaysia's hands shook frantically, North Korea tilted his head back with confusion.

"Why are you so anxious?" He inquired. "Are you lying? You can tell me,"

"I'm not lying, la..." Her voice croaked with exasperation. Her fingers started to twitch. "Why are you so dense...?"

North Korea looked in surprise for a moment, before pouting at her childishly. "Dense about what?"

Malaysia gave out a sheepish, tired laugh. "It's nothing. It's nothing at all..."

"Even though I haven't known those two for a while, I think I like them a lot..." North Korea confessed, putting his hands in his black coat's pockets. Malaysia had fear written on her expression before he continued. "I think we can be friends if I tried." Malaysia put a hand over her chest, sighing in relief. He almost gave her a heart attack with what he had said.

He pressed his cheek onto his coat's collar, hiding his mouth and the tip of his nose. "I'm not sure... if they'd like me. I think I annoy them by being too quiet or awkward. Do you think so?"

Her bangs cast a shadow over her eyes. Malaysia linked her arm around his, looking away from his face. She felt uneasy, and maybe a little sick. But her stomach had butterflies from it. It didn't seem like he was pulling away either. He seemed startled, stepping backwards from the impact, but it didn't make him push her away.

"Amita wanted to be your friend for a long time." Malaysia downcast her gaze towards the ground. "And this entire trip she's been anxious about how she can make you comfortable. Jing Yi isn't very good around people either. It's kind of a miracle that he can relax around someone he's unfamiliar with. I think... that you should be thankful for that. So let's enjoy the festival knowing they feel that way."

North Korea's lips parted from surprise, but smiled earnestly. Malaysia's eyes widened in surprise and North Korea gave out a small laugh. "Yeah... I get that." He chuckled, his aura shining brighter than ever before.

Walking around booths with her arm wrapped around his other, she felt like she was on top of the world. Malaysia was searching for something fun she could show him. Then, a large plush of a tiger caught her eye. She stared in awe at the animal, who looked too soft to touch. She just wanted to run her hands all over it.

North Korea seemed to have the same thought has he pointed at the booth with starry eyes. "Can we go there?" He gasped. Malaysia nodded furiously as they strode over to the game.

She went up to the booth man and asked how to get the prize. The man told her she had to shoot from one of the toy guns to the middle of the target. She has had military experience, but that doesn't mean she was a world class sniper. Malaysia had to let go of North Korea's arm to shoot the target. She missed on her first two tries, but triumph in the end when she hit the middle three times. She pointed almost immediately at the life sized tiger and held it towards North Korea's hands. He flusteredly took the doll, carefully cradling it in his arms.

"A-are you sure? You didn't have to do that..."

"But I wanted to." Malaysia loved the bashful expressions on his face or the cold, stotic ones. His warm smile or cold stare. Either one was fine, because she loved everything about him. Mental illnesses and all. She continued, "I want this tiger to be there for you if I'm not here. That way, you'll never feel lonely. Because I don't want you to feel upset about that,"

He stared at her with twinkling eyes for a moment, before he slammed his money down on the booth counter.

"Give me the gun!" He barked, startling the customers around them. Malaysia's jaw dropped as she saw North Korea hit all the targets with the determined look in his eye. It looks like he had plenty of military experience in him. In the end, the shaking employee gave him the other life sized tiger plush. North Korea gave this one to a stunned, flabbergasted Malaysia.

She waved him off and tried to reject the prize. "You didn't have to do that!"

"But I wanted to," He snorted, mimicking her earlier words. "It seemed like you wanted it as well, so how could I not get it for you?"

"B-but still! You didn't have to-"

Her words were cut short as North Korea held her in his arms. Her eyes widened in surprise as she dropped the plush to the ground, the world stopping in motion as the festival lights began to shine even brighter.

"Thank you for being there for me," Even though she couldn't see him, Malaysia could tell he was smiling giddily.

She embraced him back, nuzzling her nose against his warm neck. "You're welcome."

* * *

 **I hope... this satisfied you all. I'm sorry if the quality of this chapter wasn't as good. I've been having writers block lately D: On Christmas day I will post a long chapter as a Christmas special. It's going to be great. And spoiler alert, it's going to move the story along quite well. It's going to be great. Also the anime Indonesia was talking about 'Yuri on Ice' is a popular anime that almost the entire world has been watching. It's a figure skating anime about this Japanese skater named Yuri, who finds inspiration to skate from the best skater in the world (his idol) Victor.**

 **Please review about anything you want to say, it really motivates me to work harder on getting these chapters done faster!**


	14. The Christmas Special

**For all of you who don't live in America and live in some part of Asia or just any where else, it's probably the 26th of December over there. But I live in California, so it's actually Christmas where I'm at. Merry Christmas everyone, have a great time!**

* * *

 _'It's Christmas.'_

That was the first thought that had arose in her head.

Her eyes burst open as she threw off the warm, cotton sheets on top of her. She hurried over to the window and peeked through the glass to see snow piling on the cement and trees. Malaysia closed her eyes and yawned, stretching out her arms before walking lazily over to the bathroom. She tucked the tangled strand of hair behind her ear as she turned on the sink's faucet. She splashed the water on her face before rubbing it with one of her hand towels.

Despite doing her normal everyday routine, Malaysia was a bit nervous. She could tell by the way her legs were shaking with each step, and how she had almost ruined her breakfast by staring into space in thought. She was never really used to celebrating Christmas on the actual day, but rather on the twenty-fourth. And last night, North Korea texted the same thing over the phone when they had just arrived home from the World Meeting. It seemed like it was going to be their first Christmas in a long time

Malaysia glanced over at one of the wall clock's, which read '9:31 am'. She only woke up twenty minutes earlier than her usual schedule, but the thought of that just made her even more tired than before...

Just as she was finishing up her breakfast, her phone started to ring. She picked up the cell, still munching on her food, and grimaced when she noticed it was Indonesia calling. She swiped the 'call' button and held the phone close to her ear while putting a spoonful of rice in her mouth. Though it was hard to talk by doing so. So she swallowed most of the food in one huge gulp before coughing out her greetings.

"H-hello?"

 _"Hey Damia! Are you outta bed yet?"_

Malaysia groaned. "I already was up..."

 _"Good! Well, I got some bad news for you. Actually... this also will affect our whole family get together!"_

"What's wrong?" Malaysia raised an eyebrow, putting the phone in her other shoulder to ease the weight of the other. "Did you set your house on fire or something?"

 _"Haha... no. So Hwan Soo can't make it to the party."_

Malaysia went silent. Indonesia kept asking on the phone if she was there or not, trying to reach her. But Malaysia just dropped the phone and stared off into space, before promptly hitting her head on the table. Malaysia's hand shook as she grabbed the phone from the ground, lying her cheek on the table as Indonesia started to panic.

 _"-ey! Are you listening?! Don't die of a heart attack Damia!"_

"I-i... I'm fine." She shook her head before anger arose. "But what do you mean Hwan Soo can't come?! Did he change plans last minute?"

 _"Er... kind of."_

"What do you mean, 'kind of'?!" Malaysia shouted, sitting up straight. She slammed her hand down on the table, hearing a shriek from Indonesia over the phone. "I don't understand! And it's too early in the morning for me to be yelling..." She yawned, sitting down on her chair.

 _"South Korea is um... he's holding Hwan Soo hostage at his house."_

"... What." Malaysia blinked a couple times to process that in her head.

 _"I called Hwan Soo, but all I heard was screaming and South Korea yelling 'HYUNG-NIM IS MINE!' before the call ended."_

"... Ah..." Malaysia finally understood what had happened. She sunk low in her seat, her chair inching farther apart from the table. "... I guess South had kidnapped him... huh..."

 _"... So what now?"_

After moping for a while, an idea popped in Malaysia's head. She jumped up from her seat and yelped, rumbling the chair and table from her movements. She once again, reached for her phone that was lying on the table and held it close to her ear. There was no way that she wouldn't spend Christmas without North Korea. Not on her watch.

"I know!" Malaysia pounded her fist on the table. "We'll have Christmas at South Korea's place if he won't give us Hwan Soo! Go text Jing Yi! I'll be there in um- I'll be there in less than an hour... I think." All the confidence Malaysia had drained out, as she remembered how tiring it was to get ready in the morning. She laughed uneasily as she ended the call, putting her dishes in the sink.

Putting on her warm, fuzzy brown boots, Malaysia recalled that America had given all the nations the list to everyone's house. He said that we could crash anyone's house on Christmas, any time we wanted. Although it was an inconvenience to most nations, it was certainly a big help to Malaysia. She took the list and a pen out of her purse and unfolded the paper. She scanned it before marking off South Korea's address. It was time to crash into South Korea's house. Malaysia started to realize maybe she was becoming more bold and brash after meeting North Korea...

Maybe that was a good thing too. After all- if she was still the polite girl from last year then she wouldn't have grown at all. And now a year later, Malaysia stood in front of South Korea's house with food and gift bags in her arms. She nodded at Singapore, who held up his wrench in response.

"Should we really be doing this-?" Malaysia asked.

Indonesia held up her foot as Singapore shrugged. "It's too late to go back now." He said.

Malaysia sighed while smiling uneasily. "You're probably right..."

Singapore knocked on the door with his wrench. "Hey, South. You better let us in. I have a wrench, Indonesia is pretty strong in hand-to-hand combat, and Malaysia can poison you with her food."

"Don't say it like that..." She exasperated, burying her face in the mountains of presents she was holding."My food is better than anything you'll ever make..."

"Actually, all of our foods are pretty similar." Indonesia piped up, setting her foot to the ground to turn to Malaysia. "You even stole some of my own!" She pointed out.

"... Anyway." Singapore continued before Malaysia could get angry at Indonesia. "Just let us in already. I bought North a present and I don't want it to go to waste. Don't make this difficult for both of us."

A loud 'NO!' was heard from behind the door. Indonesia looked around to see if anyone was watching from the sidewalks. When the coast was clear, she slammed her foot on the door as hard as she could. The door fell down with ease as Indonesia bent down to the ground to rub her sore foot. Malaysia put her hand on her hip, setting a couple of the bags of gifts to the ground.

"You really need to learn how to pick a lock, la." Malaysia said, promptly patting Indonesia on the head. Indonesia bit her lip as she cried out in pain, before wobbling to stand back up.

She dusted herself off. "I'm fine." Indonesia sighed. "Jing Yi, can you carry me?"

"You weren't this whiny when you broke _my_ door down," Singapore grumbled, leaning down so Indonesia could hop onto him. Once she got on his back, he lifted her up by carrying her legs. While she picked up her own bags off the floor again, Malaysia wished for a moment that Singapore would be the one carrying her and not Indonesia. Malaysia just wanted to rest...

"That's because your door was so cheap, it was like stepping on rotten wood." Indonesia laughed. "South Korea is pretty rich, you know." They all stepped inside the house, the door creaking behind them. The door was pretty strong, since the only thing that had happened was it opening up. It didn't fall down flat to the ground like Singapore's did. Malaysia snorted, remembering how much of a cheapskate Singapore can be.

The living room they all stepped into had a large Christmas pine tree. The smell and look of it made Malaysia realize this was a real, authentic kind of tree. Not the cheap ones you could buy every year. The floors were carpeted with designs of red, green, and white. But the things Malaysia paid close attention to were the candles lit around the room and the fireplace on the side. And for someone who had only lived in the house for a couple weeks, the place was decorated to look as nice and homely as possible.

"Wow..." Indonesia awed. "He even lit a fireplace..."

"... South Korea is pretty intense, huh?" Singapore concluded. Malaysia could only gulp and nod in agreement.

She looked around the room before setting her eyes on a certain thing. And the only emotion she could feel was dumbfounded. In front of her, was North Korea curled up onto a large couch with hot cocoa in his hands. A blanket wrapped around his entire body as he watched a movie on the T.V. He finally noticed their presence and turned around, his eyes widened.

"What are you all doing here?!"

"Gee, thanks." Singapore rolled his eyes. Malaysia strode over to North Korea, who had set down his cup of cocoa on the table beside him. Malaysia tugged on the blanket covering North Korea.

"Anyways, we need to get you out before South notices we're here-"

Her words were cut short as her jaw dropped in surprise. The blanket she held fell to the flood aimlessly as Malaysia's eyes were focused on a handcuffs that bounded North Korea's foot to the couch. One cuff was on his ankle while the other was to the couch's leg.

"Hey I heard my door ope-" South Korea cut himself off as he saw the trio barge into his living room, seeing North Korea held hostage. He chuckled eerily and scratched the back of his head. "I can explain..."

"How can you explain kidnapping your brother against his will by chaining him up?!" Indonesia hollered, raging from Singapore's backside.

Singapore nudged Indonesia to stop shaking before talking, "Chaining up isn't the right word, but this is still messed up."

North Korea shrugged, his expression was nonchalant. "What happened isn't as complicated as you all think it is. Tell them what happened, Yong Soo."

Everyone focused their gaze on South Korea. Malaysia could only cross her arms and lean back, giving the Korean a cold glare that could kill anyone instantly. Even though North seemed oddly fine with being held hostage, Malaysia was having none of it. Did South Korea learn anything at all from North's past? She supposed he didn't.

South Korea stuck his tongue out and stared up at the ceiling in thought before he finally answered. His set his eyes on the group before him as he smiled jokingly. "You know, I _really_ wanted to spend Christmas with Hwan Soo. Because this would be our first Christmas together." Then he gestured his hands out mockingly. "But then he's like 'Dongsang, I already promise my new friends that I would spend Christmas at their house.' I mean come on, how cold is that? So he invites me to go with him but I'm having none of that. So I forcibly took him here and handcuffed him so he wouldn't leave me!" South Korea put his hands up to his face and rubbed his cheeks. He gave out a soft sigh, "It's our first Christmas together, his first Christmas in general... until you guys came along." He gave Malaysia, Indonesia, and Singapore a sharp glare before huffing in response.

"... That's still pretty messed up." Singapore pointed out. He laid Indonesia to the ground as she stood up, finally recovering from her injury. Singapore put a hand up to his chin. "Are your trust issues really that bad?"

South Korea stared at him speechlessly before putting his hands up in defense. "I-i don't have trust issues at all!"

"Then are you just a really possessive person?" Indonesia piped up from behind.

South Korea shook his head furiously. "I'm not!"

Malaysia and North Korea exchanged a look at each other before staring back at South Korea, who was frantically denying every statement thrown at him. They were both tired of this pointless conversation.

"... Dongsang." North Korea started.

"Yes!" South Korea said, ignoring the ASEAN's groups judgmental stares.

"... Will you uncuff me from this couch? My ankle is becoming sore." North Korea leaned his head forward, becoming tired of sitting in the same position for as long as he did.

"... Okay." South Korea sighed, finally giving in. He took out a key from his pocket and bent down to unlock the handcuffs. When North Korea was free, he wiggled his toes and set his foot on the floor, before promptly falling to the floor with a thud.

"Hwan Soo! Did you get hurt anywhere?!" Malaysia cried, laying on the ground on her knees.

"I'll call an ambulance," Singapore snickered, adjusting his glasses. Not putting up with his awful timing with jokes, Indonesia gave him a small punch to the arm, which made him almost fall over. As he rubbed his sore arm in pain, Indonesia kissed her own knuckles and gave him a smirk. She wasn't dealing with his attitude on Christmas Day.

South Korea also went down to his level and held North Korea's hand. "Hyung-nim! I didn't mean to accidentally murder you! I love you, so don't leave me!"

"I'm fine..." North Korea said with a impassive tone. "It's just my leg fell asleep so it's hard to adjust."

He let go of South Korea's hand and put both of his hands on the floor, his legs shaking as he held the table beside him for support. Everyone in the room stared at him in awe while North Korea pointed at the dish in Malaysia's hands. "Food."

"... Food?" Malaysia deadpanned, tilting her head in confusion.

"... I'm hungry." North Korea said with a blunt demeanor.

"Were my pancakes not good enough for you?!" South Korea stomped his foot on the ground, pointing his finger at North Korea. "I made sure to pour all my love, sweat, and tears into them and you just-!" South Korea put his hands up to his face as small tears formed at the corners of his eyes. "You just dissed my pancakes like that..."

"Ah, no. They were fine." North Korea put his hand up in front of him, signaling South to stop crying. He turned to Malaysia, with a small blush staining his cheeks. "But I really missed Damia's cooking. It's the best thing in the entire world."

Everyone's jaw dropped the moment he had said that. Malaysia stood up and handed North Korea the dish of food in her hands with a smile that couldn't fit on her face.

"Have as much as you want!" She squealed, North Korea becoming flustered at the notion. "I'm glad that someone appreciates my cooking at least," Malaysia gave him a fork and encouraged him to 'dig in'.

While North Korea started gobbling down her food as she stared at him adoringly, Indonesia went off to South Korea and tapped his shoulder. He turned to her, his expression showing confusion.

"... Do you mind if we spend Christmas here? I'm too lazy to go back to my house..." Indonesia chuckled nervously.

"NO!' South Korea yelled, balling his fists in anger. "Why would you even ask that?!"

"I'll tell China that you handcuffed your brother against his will." Singapore threatened, pushing his glass up the bridge of his nose. "And would you want that?"

"... No..."

And around noon on Christmas Day in London, the ASEAN trio had successfully infiltrated South Korea's home to spend their time with North Korea. This Christmas wasn't as lonely as last year, wasn't it?

* * *

Using the ingredients South Korea and Malaysia had on hand, they cooked a traditional Christmas feast. Or as traditional as they could've. Both nations came from different background and cultures, so their taste in food was different than America's. Malaysia and South Korea also had some disagreements preparing the dishes, which ended with Indonesia and Singapore holding them back from tearing out each others throats while North Korea ate some of the ingredients from the sidelines.

After a couple hours of innovating and changing the dishes here and there, their Christmas dinner was finally finished. Roasted duck accompanied with side dishes of eggs, salad, and various other foods as well. Everyone was thoroughly impressed by how it turned out. Especially North Korea, who even started drooling when he saw the finished product.

Although it was a hassle to fight for their favorite pieces of the duck, it was still fun to be around people at the dinner table.

While munching on one of the side dishes, Singapore asked South Korea a question. He pointed his fork up to the Korean, "Why did you buy an entire duck?"

"Well..." He scratched the back of his head and laughed. "I thought hyung-nim could eat that entire thing if he tried... but I guess he ate too much raw ingredients to even eat any duck." South Korea deadpanned, shifting his gaze to North Korea. North Korea was having trouble finishing his plate, as he rubbed his sore belly in pain. Malaysia felt bad for him and gave North Korea some tea to ease the discomfort.

The sky had already turned a pale, dark orange when they were done. And as time passed by, it became a serine dark indigo color. They all laid around or on the couch while they watched Christmas marathons before Indonesia piped up again.

"We forgot!"

"... Forgot what?" Malaysia inquired.

Indonesia waved her hands in the air, "The presents! We forgot about the presents!"

"I have none for any of you but Hwan Soo," South Korea whistled, kicking up his feet on the table.

"Oh we know that already," Singapore mused. He got up from his spot on the couch and sat near the Christmas tree, patting the empty spot beside him. "I'm getting bored, so can you all just get here already."

Malaysia was equally as bored, and and the rest felt the same way. South Korea shut off the T.V. with his remote and strode over to the tree, as did everyone else. Malaysia asked with a smile on her face, "Who wants to go first?"

"I want to!" Indonesia shouted gleefully, pushing her gifts in front of her. She peered over at Malaysia excitedly. "You go first Damia!"

Malaysia unwrapped the present carefully, admiring the paper's designs. She opened the box and her mouth spewed out inaudible words as she lifted the newest model of a steam cooker onto her lap. She was astounded by how the metal reflected so beautifully, and how the pot perfectly fitted into her arms. Malaysia fell in love with it at first sight.

"So? You like it?" Indonesia snickered.

"I love... I love you." Malaysia said, holding it close to her face. "I love you steamer..."

Singapore opened his gift to find a mug wrapped in the bag. He lifted the cup in the air and examined it.

"... Gee... thanks Amita." He said with an emotionless expression.

Indonesia huffed, "It's a mug that changes the picture on front when you pour hot liquid in it! Plus, you really like your coffee."

"... I like ice coffee." Singapore said.

"... Try hot coffee then." Indonesia shrugged. She turned to North Korea while his brother whined about being 'left out'. She balled in fists and bounced in her spot like a puppy. "Come on Hwan Soo, open it! Don't be shy!"

His first present. His first time celebrating Christmas. Malaysia subconsciously held in her breath as North Korea unraveled the gift whilst sticking his tongue out.

"WHAT THE-?!" He shouted, appearing shocked at the gift bestowed upon him. North Korea looked as if he was going to trip on his own two feet. Instead, he sat on the ground like everyone else and stared at the present uncertainly, fiddling it around with his fingers. Indonesia smirked as she let out a proud puff, putting a hand under her chin.

"So, you like it?"

Malaysia cursed under her breath as clenched her fist. She can't compete with Indonesia with an amazing present like that.

"... What is it?" North Korea asked.

"Wait- is that a snuggie?" South Korea proclaimed, pointing accusingly at the cloth in front of him.

Indonesia snorted, "It's footie pajamas. Do you like it?" She asked again.

"... I don't understand it, but thank you." North Korea said after a while.

"Why don't you wear it then!" Indonesia suggested.

"No, no. I'm good." North Korea declined, setting the gift aside. "It was cute... I think. So thank you for buying me it. It was very considerate of you, even though you barely know me."

"God, you're so polite! You're so cute!" Indonesia laughed, ignoring South Korea's childish anger rising. "Who wants to go next now, anyway?"

"Me!" South Korea shouted, handing his brother his present. "Hyung-nim, open it!" He said. As North Korea opened it, South Korea's piercing gaze didn't change one bit. The present revealed to be a brand new coat, and it looked like it was high quality too. North Korea took a peek at the price tag on the black coat with golden buttons, and his jaw dropped in surprise.

"You bought me a two hundred dollar coat?! That's worth more than my entire life!"

"Whaaat? Don't say things like that, hyung-nim." South Korea pouted. "Plus, I love you a lot. So this is my gift to you! What did you get me?"

North Korea handed him the present, and looked on the edge as South Korea opened it.

"Oh my! What a cute poncho!" South Korea squealed, rubbing the poncho on his cheek. Malaysia was actually a bit jealous of the gift, since it looked so nice and cozy. And the adorable tiger stripes and ears on it didn't cease her hidden envy.

After exchanging the gifts, Indonesia and Singapore seemed satisfied with the gifts Malaysia had gotten them. Malaysia gave Singapore a book by one of his favorite authors, and a polaroid to Indonesia. Both had responded quite well to their gifts, and thanked her shortly after receiving them. And in return, Singapore gave Malaysia a small butterfly knife to 'protect herself'. He had also given Indonesia a giftcard to one of her favorite stores, and money to North Korea. He was actually quite pleased with the gift, telling Singapore it was the 'best present he had recieved all day'. North Korea had been the last to give out his presents- a cute blanket with kitten paws as the design for Indonesia and a DVD of Singapore's favorite drama. Both were equally great gifts.

They ended the night with Indonesia and South Korea battling out on his karaoke machine, trying to out-due each other in their own duet. Singapore only cheered at them from the sidelines. Malaysia felt a tap on her shoulder as she turned around to face a flustered Korean. North Korea held a gift in his hand and anxiously glanced around his surroundings.

"Um- I want to give you your gift somewhere private."

"Oh..." Malaysia felt herself blush as she walked with North Korea outside, feeling the cold air rush from inside when she opened the door. She stepped out, her feet creating foot marks on the snow. She had also held her gift to him close to her chest, and near her heart.

"You go first!" They said in sync. Malaysia got embarrassed and peered over her side, trying to avoid eye contact.

"... You can open my gift first." Malaysia said, handing her present to him. They exchanged gifts quietly, small specks of snowflakes piling on top of their heads. North Korea had already took the sketch book out of the bag and stared at it in awe, flipping it back and forth to examine it.

"And this is suppose to be a sketchbook?" He asked. Malaysia nodded slowly, her nose becoming more chilled by the cold air. She lifted her shirt collar up to her nose in response.

"Ah, but there's more!" Malaysia said, ushering him with her hands to look further into the bag. North Korea reached inside and found the markers- twenty four different colors. And they were quite expensive too.

"Those are called Copic markers." She explained, rubbing her freezing ears with one of her hands. "They're suppose to be really good for coloring and blending, and you can refill them by putting in alcohol. They weren't that cheap, so I hope this was good enough for your tastes."

"They look amazing..." North Korea inspected the markers just as he did with the sketchbook, before putting them all back in the bag. He smiled earnestly, "Thank you. You should open my gift now,"

Malaysia proceeded to follow his orders, and took out the gifts from his own bag. Her eyes widened and immediately cooed at the small, circle things in her hands. They were cute coasters used to go under drinks or hot dishes on the tables. She grinned and laughed, "I love it! It's so cute, and I'll treasure this forever! Thank you so much."

North Korea stepped back, almost surprised by how happy she became. Then smiled again, "It's no problem." Then he started to twiddle his fingers together. "I also... have another gift for you."

While Malaysia pouted, not understanding what he meant for a moment, North Korea grabbed something from his pocket and handed it to her. It was a small, but long rectangle box. She took off the ribbon holding it together, and opened the lid. Malaysia's lips parted as she lifted the golden chain from it's contents. She could see her own reflection on the moon crescent shaped locket, with a small star hanging beside it.

North Korea avoided eye contact by staring off into the snow, scratching his neck. "I saw it in a store and it reminded me of you... I had already bought you a gift, but I had a sudden urge to buy it. Is it okay?"

"It's so beautiful..." She trailed off. "Why did it reminded you of me?"

"... Don't laugh... but it reminded me of how the stars reflect in your eyes." North Korea confessed, setting his hand down to his side while a blush formed on his cheeks. Malaysia blushed, staring at him in astonishment. He started to rub his foot on the snowy ground, looking embarrassed. "And the moon reminded me of how you, since your both always there for me. The moon is always hidden in daylight, but it's still there."

"You don't really mean that, do you?" She asked, her eyes widening.

"I do... I'm not joking."

She unhooked the necklace and placed it around her neck before locking it in place again. Malaysia chuckled, "Thank you so much. I hope this Christmas was fun for you. It was... it was really fun for me." She gently caressed the moon crescent on her necklace, the star beside it twinkling under the porch lights. Malaysia wanted to treasure it as long as she had lived.

"... It's my most favorite Christmas ever."

She nudged him playfully, "But this is your first Christmas celebration. Let's go inside, I want to drink some coffee." She raised her hand towards him, which he gladly accepted.

Malaysia never felt happier than she had ever felt before.

* * *

 **God I'm soooo tired. I stayed up until it was like 1:11 am in California time, but Merry Christmas! I hope this was good enough for you all, I want you all to have a wonderful Christmas. Please review... I am dying to know your feedback.**


	15. The Sleepover

**I'd like to apologize for the quality of my fanfic chapters from the beginning of this fic. It seemed really rushed and I hope to improve my story's quality! I'm actually thinking about a rewrite in the future once I'm finished with this fic...**

* * *

The meeting had already stopped in favor of putting the meeting to a halt, since Romano wouldn't stop pestering Germany about his stomach aches since he ate one of his potatoes. China had already dragged South Korea off for mysterious reasons. Probably he did this so North Korea could socialize without having his brother cling onto him. So North Korea was left the meeting with his familiar friend group again. They chatted on the cab ride to Singapore's house, and once again, everyone helped out to make dinner in the kitchen. They would've gone to a restaurant but Malaysia absolutely refused to eat Haggis for one of the meals.

The smell of dinner wavered the entire house as Malaysia excitedly set down the plate of hot food on the table. North Korea's mouth watered while Indonesia stood back to take a picture of the scene on her new Polaroid. Singapore sat down as he finished placing all the plates and utensils. After praying (or silence for a minute while North Korea stared at the plate like a wild animal), they all ate with their hearts content. The meeting was held earlier than usual, so no one had time for breakfast. England was so cold hearted...

They all lazed around the couches, full from their meal. They had just finished eating and they wanted entertainment, but there really wasn't much they could do around here. Indonesia shouted a small 'oh!' before stomping her foot on the ground, still sitting on the couch.

"Let's go on a camping trip!" Indonesia said, with an evil gleam in her eye.

"... What." Malaysia couldn't believe what she was hearing. She covered her ears and turned away, pretending she couldn't listen to her. "I didn't see anything... I didn't hear anything..."

"You mean go out in the wilderness during winter time? I'll pass." Singapore said. He licked his finger and pressed it onto the paper, turning it while he read his new book. "And do we even have time for that sort of thing? That's a bit odd of you to suggest,"

"Camping?" North Korea inquired. "What's that?"

Malaysia finally set down her hands to her sides and sat on a nearby love seat, hugging her knees close to her chest while Indonesia began to describe the experience. "You get a bunch of supplies like a tent or barbecue. Then you can go hunt, fish, or just survive in the woods." Indonesia explained. "You've never gone camping before?"

"If that's what camping is, then I do it all the time." North Korea shrugged. "Sometimes I stay away from my house because of the security cameras, then I peacefully eat choco pie in the woods and sleep in the cold." He noticed the disdained looks from everyone else and waved his hand sheepishly in the air, "Ah but it's not as bad as you think it is. I mean I do get hypothermia sometimes, but choco pie is worth it."

"... You're more hardcore than I thought you were." Indonesia said with a vacant look in her eye.

Singapore set his book aside on a nearby coffee table, and crossed his arms. He appointed his gaze towards North Korea, an eyebrow raised. "Would your leader punish you for eating just choco pie? Are you serious?"

"I've almost been executed numerous times because the security cameras have caught sight of my South Korean books. No foreign things that influence my people's minds are allowed in the country." He shrugged once more. "Although it isn't as bad as you think, once you can forget about the death camps and starving citizens." North Korea's eyes went blank for a moment, before he shook his head and sighed. "Those things can scare you off, so you probably don't want to visit Pyongyang, my capital city. It's actually quite nice compared some countries I visited in the past."

"... The things you said earlier don't sound so nice." Singapore gulped. Then he leaned forward, intrigued by the Korean's words. "But... do tell me more."

Malaysia gulped and focused on North Korea, who put a hand under his chin in thought. He snapped his fingers and made an 'o' shape with his mouth.

"The trees are very beautiful. Once it's spring, they bloom so beautifully that you can't take your eyes off of them. I like them best when they give shade over families who have children playing under them. Or elders who fall asleep there. Also, the fine arts like dancing or singing held in my country are quite captivating to watch." He sighed blissfully before a barely seen smile showed on his face. "I really love my people..."

"How cute..." Malaysia's eyes were half-lidded, a visible blush forming on her cheeks. She slapped a hand over her mouth, but Indonesia and Singapore gave her a teasing glance. She was never going to hear the end of this.

North Korea tilted his head, "What's so cute?"

"Nothing!" Malaysia squeaked, her shoulders tensing up.

"... Oh by the way," North Korea's pupils dilated, almost as if he had remembered something. "I recall that my leader wants to meet you."

"Wait, really?" Singapore inquired, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes." North Korea nodded. He started to stroke his own hair bangs again, almost out of habit, Malaysia concluded to herself. North Korea averted his gaze towards his side, "Babyface- I mean my leader said that... he wants to know what kind of nations I hang out with. He said it was a good thing to get close, since you live in a multiculural society and it would be good for trade and tourism."

"But how does he know about Jing Yi and Amita? You guys just befriended a couple months ago," Malaysia put a hand under her chin, curious about North Korea's answer.

"Huh-? I was talking about you, Damia." North Korea replied, scratching his head. "You're the only one I ever talk about. I don't even mention Yao or Yong Soo all that much, since I'm worried of what he'll do to me if I tell him..."

Indonesia snickered. _"You're the only one."_ She taunted quietly into Malaysia's ear. Malaysia's eyes widened as she swatted Indonesia away from her, leaning back from her. How embarrassing-!

"W-why only me? Don't you keep in contact with your leader on the phone? You can tell him about Jing Yi and Amita." North Korea only shook his head at Malaysia's comment.

"We never talk over the phone. He says the capitalists can spy on our conversations, so I can pretty much keep everything a secret until I get back home." Then he bit his lip and rubbed the back of his neck. "To be truthful... I wasn't going to mention you but my loud mouth accidentally blurted out our relationship. I bragged about how your cooking was the best there is, and now my leader immediately wants to know who you are." North Korea shrugged. "I apologize for bringing you into this."

"... I don't know whether to be flattered or afraid." Malaysia nervously chuckled.

Singapore tucked a strand of hair behind his ear and exhaled out slowly. "Well I searched it up on Google, and I can probably visit your country too if I wanted. Damia and I are allowed to pass there, though strangely Damia can go without a VISA..." North Korea tried to shrug it off again, but Malaysia noticed something a bit off with his response. He almost seemed tense, in some way. It bothered Malaysia, but she decided to ignore it as she thought she was overanalyzing it again.

"You googled it?" Malaysia squinted at him, not sure if he was joking. Judging by his tone, he was dead serious.

"Hey- what about me?!" Indonesia huffed.

"No. Only Damia and Singapore are allowed. Also, it's kind of a hassle to go there anyway. You can only enter by going to China's airport..." North Korea trailed off.

"I'd like to see your house one day. I bet it's a traditional Korean style house with modern housewares." Indonesia nodded to herself. "I mean, that's just what I think anyway."

North Korea stared at them wide eyed. "That's exactly what my house is. How do you have such great intuition?"

"I don't know, I'm just smart." Indonesia shrugged with a cheery grin. "All Asians have houses like that!"

"That is true..." North Korea put a hand under his chin in thought. Malaysia had to bit her lip to refrain herself from giggling. The look on North Korea's face was too adorable... she wanted to pinch his cheeks.

A sudden alarm went off on Singapore's phone. He blinked once, then checked the screen and a small 'ah' escaped his lips.

"I have an appointment to go over to England's house for a trade meeting tomorrow. But I set up my alarm at the wrong time... shit." Singapore muttered the last part in a low groan, but it caught the ears of everyone in the room. Malaysia's mouth quivered as she tried to conceal her soft giggles behind her hand. Singapore always boasted about his gentleman status, so it was funny to see him curse so nonchalantly like that.

Indonesia gasped at him. "Jing Yi..." Indonesia brought up her upper lip in a small pout. She lifted her hands over to North Korea's ears and shook her head. "Don't say such vulgar language in front of this pure, innocent child."

North Korea raised an eyebrow. "... Innocent? I'm not. I can handle profanity, and I use it a lot."

"But you're like sooo young. You're only a few centuries old."

The blood rushed to his cheeks as he childishly denied the accusation. "W-well I seem more mature than you anyway! What's your physical age then?"

"I'm about nineteen years old, physically. I'm pretty old, aren't I?" Indonesia she chuckled. She glanced over towards the other two, who reacted upon her intent stare. Malaysia noticed her gaze as she straightened up her posture in her seat. Indonesia tapped her finger on her chin, "Say... I forgot how old you all were. How old are you guys?"

"I'm about... eighteen I think? I don't really keep track." Singapore shrugged to himself. Malaysia cast her eyes on the ground for a few moments before her lips formed an 'o' shape, signaling that she remembered it.

"I remember being about eighteen also. But maybe I'm a tad younger then that... how old are you suppose to be, Hwan Soo?"

Suddenly his head lowered, almost in a sad sulk. He looked up with his bangs covering his eye, making him seem more intimidating than usual. But the light blush spread across his cheeks told Malaysia otherwise. "I-i... I'm sixteen or seventeen..." Singapore and Indonesia made a brief eye contact before they burst out laughing, clutching their stomachs. North Korea sat up again and glared at the two, pouting childishly. Malaysia never had this much fun before...

She left her spot from her lone seat to scoot in closer the North Korea. She sat beside him as she patted his back softly in a joking matter. "There, there. I'm sure there are countries younger than you. Like Latvia for example."

He leaned closer to her from the touch, making Malaysia flinch back out of reflex. North Korea didn't seem to notice as he kept brooding. "But I'm the youngest in my friend group... that's not something to be proud of."

Indonesia then wrapped her arm around North Korea and pulled him closer, making Malaysia raging with jealously. Singapore snickered in amusement as he watched the fury in Malaysia's eyes burn like a candle flame. Indonesia chuckled, "It's okay! Big sister Amita will teach you the ways of maturity." Malaysia rolled her eyes at Indonesia's declaration as the girl tugged onto North Korea tightly. He shifted uncomfortably in his spot, but didn't make any effort to remove her.

He finally tugged on her sleeve, urging her to get off. As she got off him, Malaysia's face flushed bright red with possessiveness. North Korea rubbed his arm awkwardly as he focused his eyes on a nearby decorative plant. "Well... I've never been a younger brother before. Except with my elder sister Joseon- but she never really treated me like one, so I wouldn't know."

"That's so depressing..." Singapore lowered his gaze, but Malaysia saw hint of sympathy in his eyes.

Malaysia made a crooked smile, "It's okay. I was never close to my elder sibling either. I just heard odd stories about the Malacca Empire..." She nervously laughed, "They were never really talkative... I don't even remember what their gender was."

 _"It was a boy/girl."_ Singapore and Indonesia spoke at the same time. They turned to each other, then looked away- not wanting to start another argument over this matter again. Malaysia rolled her eyes, but was secretly glad they didn't try to bring up the topic again. It was a really long debate and it would've been better to ask China what was Malacca's gender, but that didn't really matter at the moment.

The silence in the room lasted for several seconds until Indonesia's head bopped up, her pupils dilated. Malaysia gulped and felt herself winced because she knew exactly what this look was- an idea had sparked in Indonesia's head again. Malaysia leaned back in her spot on the couch, her head laid still upon the cushion. Malaysia was ready to embrace Indonesia's impact.

"Lets have a sleepover here!" Indonesia grinned. Singapore immediately counteracted.

"No, _no_." He shook his head before crossing his arms. "I do not have enough room to keep you all here. I only have one spare bed, not including my own."

"But if we did have enough room, you would let us sleep here, right?" She purred, Malaysia snickering from her antics. She glanced back at North Korea, who only bit his lip and turned away with a bashful expression.

 _'He's trying not to laugh... how considerate of him.'_ She thought.

"... I don't even have spare clothes for the girls." He muttered to himself. Indonesia beamed.

"So you do want us to stay here!"

" _Yes_ \- I mean no!" Singapore shouted back in exasperation, trying to take back his words.

Malayisa shook her head. "Wow, what a tsundere. Isn't that right, Hwan Soo?"

North Korea whipped his head in her direction, giving off a puzzled look. "... I still do not understand what you mean by that..." With those words, she couldn't stop herself. She burst out laughing, holding her gut to keep her in her seat. Malaysia realized that all eyes were on her as her laughter ceased, straightening up her posture before expressing a poker face on her features.

"... It's an inside joke." She told Singapore and Indonesia, who stared back with the same perplexed face. Malaysia eased herself as she lifted her arm to lay it beside her on the armrest. "I wouldn't mind spending the night with you all if you're gonna be as funny as this." Indonesia's jaw dropped as she spoke inaudible words from her mouth, which Malaysia knew. It said _'how daring of you!'._

"I don't mind either." North Korea said quietly. Indonesia glimmered.

"That settles it! We're staying over tonight." She turned to Singapore, who only groaned in response. "Jing Yi- my house is a block away. I'll grab my clothes and some extra for Damia. Then some new toothbrushes from the market nearby." And with that, she grabbed her coat from one of the chairs and went out the door. She saluted them and slammed the door, leaving the three by themselves.

"... Well that was fast." Singapore said. Malaysia shrugged.

"She's really over excited about these things," She turned around to face North Korea who was fiddling around with his fingers. "Is she too energetic for you to handle today?"

"What? Of course not!" He shouted. Then he lowered his tone. "I mean, it's not as bad as Yong Soo... he's so energetic and bright, I feel like I'm staring at the sun itself. I like Indo-" He stopped himself abruptly before his cheeks tinted red. Malaysia stared in curiosity as North finished his sentence. ""I like...A-amita... she's not so bad."

It was Malaysia's turn to widened her eyes and mouth from shock while Singapore wolf-whistled in the background.

That's when North Korea looked over at Singapore before promptly turning away with a flushed face. "A-and... Jing Yi is not the asshole I thought he was going to be."

Singapore bumped his elbow onto the coffee table, the book falling to the ground with a thud. Malaysia could see the shock, the surprise that reflected in Singapore's eyes.

He slightly adjusted his glasses before he spoke again. "... Thanks for not thinking I'm an asshole. I appreciate that,"

North Korea shrugged dismissively, but Malaysia saw the anxiety twitch in his movement as he fiddled with his fingertips.

It seemed... North Korea was trying really hard to accept people in his life. Even though the depression and anxiety drowns him, he still has the strength to overcome that and do better. She admired that about him, she thought.

She scrunched up her shoulders and perked up a smile, "I'm glad your getting used to us, la."

Though that moment was short, yet sweet. But it didn't last very long, sadly. Malaysia found herself shifted into a long debate on whether or not capitalism is beneficial to society until Indonesia got back. She interrupted the political talk by throwing toothbrushes in everyone's face, yelling at them for bringing it up. She forced Singapore and North Korea to set up the blankets and beds on the floor as punishment for being too political in a "government-free environment", but gave Malaysia the easy job of 'keeping watch on them'.

Malaysia sighed in exasperation on the couch as Indonesia next to her, lazily scrolled through her apps on her smartphone.

"What's up, la?" Malaysia asked. Indonesia made a small 'hmm' sound, not bothering to look up. Malaysia quickly glanced at North Korea, who seemed to be joking with Singapore about something with a sly smirk on his face. Something about that moment made the corners of Malaysia's mouth crinkle into a small smile.

"Ooooooh," Indonesia purred, making Malaysia jump in surprise. She snapped her head back to her as Indonesia twirled a strand of hair around her finger. "You have it really bad for him."

"... I do..." Malaysia admitted sheepishly. "I-i think it's a lot more than a silly crush though..."

"Oh. I knew that already," Indonesia brushed her off by waving a hand in front of her. "It's written all over your face. You're almost too love sick for me to handle." She shook her head in pity.

Malaysia couldn't even deny being called over-dramatic over useless matters as she slid back towards the edge of her seat in sorrow. "I hate being so obsessed with him... I can't even concentrate because all I can think about is him!"

"That's so cute... you're like a generic protagonist in a drama." Indonesia cooed.

"I would never be a protagonist. That's a lot of work, la." Malaysia rolled her eyes. "I don't know why you or Jing Yi is so interested in my love life so much..." Her eyebrows furrowed as she slowly turned her head to Indonesia. "Wait... why are you interested?"

Indonesia shrugged. "Is it wrong?"

"I don't know..."

She expected Indonesia to switch the topic to continue teasing her, but Indonesia's eyes became half-lidded and stared off to the side. A small, subtle smile was visible on her face as she gazed back at Malaysia.

"I like having friends. I always wanted to hang out with someone who I can spoil with affection, but not with family. And Hwan Soo's personality is really similar to Jing Yi's, so maybe that's why he likes Hwan Soo so much! I bet he likes having more friends too! And..." Indonesia let out a soft chuckle. "I'm interested because it's nice to see you from your usual calm, collected demeanor. I like seeing you flustered and giddy over him. You two belong together, I think."

"Amita..." Malaysia put a hand over her heart as water began to well up in her eyes. "You're so sweet, la."

She didn't know what came over her as she stood up and crashed down on Indonesia with a bear-like hug. Her arms wrapped around Indonesia tightly as she squealed about how 'cute' and 'endearing' her feelings are.

Malaysia stopped herself as she heard a loud cough behind her. She turned around, arms stripped hugging the Indonesian to death as Singapore and North Korea stood in front of them awkwardly.

"Are you done now?" Singapore inquired nonchalantly.

"... Yep!" She let go of Indonesia as the girl fell to the couch with a thud, Malaysia dusting herself off. "I was just trying to get rid of some trash."

"That's was harassment!" Indonesia whined, throwing a pillow in her face. Malaysia caught the pillow and threw it back on the couch.

"We set up the bedding on the floor." North Korea said. "What else do you want?"

"I dunno." Indonesia shrugged. "Do you wanna do anything?"

"Not really... I don't know what to do in these social situations... I'm hopeless at social activities." North Korea admitted, sheepishly rubbing his arm.

Singapore patted his back knowingly. "I understand." He nodded.

"How abouuuuut- truth or dare!" Indonesia suggested.

"No." Malaysia shook her head. "All you do it dare someone to lick your foot or ask about crushes." And Malaysia really didn't want to confess her feelings to North Korea and get rejected in front of her family... that would be too overwhelming for her to handle.

Indonesia pouted, but thankfully shifted onto another idea. "What about a pillow fight? It'll be fun throwing a bunch of pillows at each other!"

Singapore snorted. "A pillow fight. What are you, eleven?"

"Yeah, on a scale of one to ten." She sneered back. Indonesia grabbed all the couch throw pillows as she ran towards Singapore's room. He mumbled in irritability, but said nothing more as he slumped his way toward the room with the other two following.

When Malaysia first walked inside, she was greeted with a pillow to the face. Indonesia snickered as she threw pillows at a rapid speed from her own personal pillow mountain behind her. Singapore had been hit second, but he was the first to recuperate combat as he chucked another pillow in the girls direction. They started chasing each other around, with Malaysia following them with her eyes.

Suddenly, something hit her back as she fell to onto the soft, carpet ground below her. There was a loud snicker, then a soft gasp.

"S-shit Damia! Are you okay?" North Korea hovered over her with a worried expression. Malaysia felt time stopped as she stared into his alluring, warm caramel eyes. Then she picked up the pillow next to her and hit it in his face, making him fall down with ease.

She laughed so hard that she couldn't hear Singapore's battle cries or Indonesia's screeches. Tears fell down her face as she started grabbing as many pillow as she could. Malaysia pointed a finger at him.

"Y-you're so funny! Pfft- the look on your face when I hit you!" Malaysia handed one of the pillows to North Korea as he sat on the floor, rubbing his sore bum.

North Korea blinked a couple times before a smirk came on his face. "Well... how do you like it if I do it to you!" He grabbed the pillow from Malaysia's hand as he chased her around with it.

Later on, North Korea teamed up with Indonesia to destroy Malaysia and Singapore's newly built fort. Malaysia felt this was so silly but she didn't really care, this was the most fun she had in a long time.

The sleeping arrangements were the girls on the floor, guys on the bed. Singapore insisted Malaysia and North Korea should take the bed, but she quickly refused. North Korea also did. They wouldn't explain why, but the two of them gave a knowing look from the last time they were in a bed together... and Malaysia was about to warn Singapore of North Korea's... " _sleeping habits"_. But she decided to let him find out himself.

For some reason, her mind was swirling with different thoughts. It kept her up for a while until an hour later, she decided to get up. Malaysia got up from her place on the floor and noticed North Korea was missing from the bed with the door creaked open. When she tip toed down the hall, she found North Korea with an open fridge. He noticed someone behind him and turned to see Malaysia. His defense mechanisms eased down before he went back to the fridge.

"Couldn't sleep?" He asked in a low whisper, careful not to wake the others up.

"I have a lot on my mind..." Malaysia yawned. Once she grabbed a cup and put the liquid inside the microwave, she starting drinking the glass of warm glass of milk. She sat in one of the chairs, and wiped her mouth as turned to North Korea. He also held the midnight drink in his hands. "Did you have fun, la?"

North Korea nodded as he took a seat next to her. "Mmm. It was enjoyable... I used to have pillow fights with Yong Soo when we were children, so it gave me good memories."

"That's nice..." Malaysia said. "I'm glad you're happy."

"... Even though I'm this lucky to have my brother back, and have friends, I still sometimes feel like there's nothing meaningful to my life." North Korea admitted, looking away from her. Malaysia leaned in closer to him as he sighed. "I'll stop rambling. It'll bore you,"

"It won't. You can trust me. You don't have to tell me if you don't want to," Malaysia reassured. He stared at her for a moment before turning away. His put his hands behind his back while his stance become unsteady, antsy.

North Korea gave an uneasy glace towards her before he looked away from her promptly. "It'll be really annoying,"

"I don't mind," And she really didn't. Malaysia propped her elbows on the table and looked at him patiently.

North Korea took note of this and sighed, gripping his drink slightly before talking again "... I'm... growing paranoid." He confessed.

"Paranoid?"

"I'm so... _crazy_. Eccentric, foul-mouthed, a compulsive liar at heart- I don't even deserve to have the things I have now. I'm not a good person. I don't want anyone to leave me, as selfish as it is." When Malaysia opened her mouth to deny his statement, he continued quickly. "And people have been kind to me recently. Even so... I still can't believe it... I keep remembering a-and..." North Korea closed his eyes and took in a deep, quivering breath. "...I couldn't sleep at all because I dreamt of... _him_."

Malaysia didn't dare try asking who ' _he_ ' was. She wanted to make North Korea feel more at ease, to be happy. North Korea finally had the courage to look her way. But she stared at him, wide-eyed in surprise when she saw the tears that threatened to fall in his eyes. He looked so broken... it scared her. How was she going to help? What could she do?

Why was North Korea so helpless right now?

"H-he put his hands on me... told me that I belonged to _him_ , and _him_ alone." He shivered, curling his arms around himself. "I saw him. He took away everything I had, stripped me down, burned my culture to the ground. I hated how I was powerless. I hated how no one helped. I just hated that I was so alone. A-a-and I should be over it by now, but I'm n-not. In that dream, he told me the friends and family I have right now will not last... that _he_ is the only one who loves someone like _me_..." He put a hand over his eye as the water fell from his eyes. "I'm disgusted by the fact I sometimes, I still call him... **_Kiku_**..."

Even though she was fearful, afraid of doing the wrong thing, she still wanted to help him.

Malaysia reached out her hand towards his face to wipe his tears away but stopped herself.

"Can I...?" She asked softly, almost too scared of upsetting him.

In normal circumstances he would brush her off and say it was his problem. But now it was late at night, in his most vulnerable state. His quivering form and widened eyes made it clear how horrified, how petrified he felt right now. He always hide behind a serious mask, but now... seeing him so frail made her think he wasn't as mentally strong as she thought he was.

Malaysia remembered how lonely Indonesia felt when she gets left out, when she doesn't have someone to hang out with. Unlike her, she's an extrovert and tries really hard to be likable. Sometimes Malaysia got jealous whenever Indonesia showered North Korea with affection, but that was her personality. And Singapore actually seemed... _happier_ than he used to be. He has someone to give serious jokes about with.

He doesn't know how much he had change everyone's lives. He doesn't know how important he is. _He doesn't know how loved he is._

He nodded shakily as Malaysia grabbed the nearby tissue from the table, gently wiping his tears away. At the corner of her eye she spotted North Korea scratching his wrist so weakly. She quickly took his hand away and held it in her own as North Korea gave her a despairing look of anguish.

"You don't need to pity me..." He said.

"I know," She replied. Malaysia made circle marks on the surface of his hand with her own finger, soothing him. "I'm doing this because I care."

"I don't do anything for you..."

"You don't need to,"

She wrapped her arms around him as he grabbed onto the hem of his shirt, the tears soaking through her nightwear. Malaysia warmly rubbed his back and smiled gently.

"Because I'm willing to do anything for you..."

He snorted as he clutched her closer. "Don't lie to me," And she swore that she could feel his lips curl up into a smile.

They both crept back in the room, Malaysia holding North Korea's hand. His hands were ice cold. But an old saying she heard was 'cold hands, warm heart'. And for some reason, that was the first thought she had when they both crept open the door.

North Korea went back on the bed as Malaysia sat on her knees next to him. He laid down as Malaysia softly hummed next to him.

"Thanks," He whispered. She smiled back at him.

"No problem, la."

And she held his hand the entire time, falling into a deep slumber with her knees on the floor and head on the mattress.

* * *

 **AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH.**

 **So I'm excited. I'm 14 years old! (my birthday was on January 31 woot woooot). I've been kinda busy with friend drama and getting ready for high school next year... ugh.**

 **I'm gonna get the next two chapters done this month. It's important chapters so that's why I'm rushing to finish them again. I just don't want to stop writing, but I'm busy all the time D: I was going to update this in February but BOOM. I got hit by a lot of school work and writers block. But I'll try to write more... sorry ;-;**

 **Until we meet again,**

 **-Kaylabow**


	16. The Realization

**Sorry everyone :^(**

 **It's been about a year or two since I last updated. You guys probably want to scream at me for not updating sooner. Welllllll- I had a lot going on but I won't talk about it here.**

 **But for the rest of the chapters I can say the story is done! I just need to upload the chapters onto here. I'll try and do it weekly but I might forget. Thank you to everyone that stuck around :^)**

* * *

Sore. Her neck grew incredibly sore. With a groan, she opened her eyes and lifted her head off the floor and yawned.

Wait… floor?

Looking around, Malaysia realized that she was at a sleepover. That she and Indonesia slept on the floor while the guys were on the bed together.

She looked over at North Korea's sleeping figure, and her eyes widen in interest. North Korea's arms wrapped around Singapore's stature. She wasn't sure if she should be jealous or amused. North Korea has a habit of clinging onto people in his sleep. Singapore didn't even seem to mind it all that much in his slumber.

Malaysia only fell back on the floor with a small sigh, curling up in her blanket.

 _"Poke."_

Indonesia tapped Malaysia's nose with her index finger, and snickered when she saw Malaysia's tired face scrunch up into an irritated expression.

A sudden idea popped into her head. Malaysia quickly grabbed Indonesia's arm and made a 'shh' noise with her lips. She motioned her to sit up from the floor as she pointed at the two cuddling men on the couch. Then Malaysia pointed at her phone.

Indonesia nodded, recognizing her plan. She swiftly took out her smartphone and took a high quality picture of them on her camera app. Then a few pictures later, Malaysia and Indonesia were taking selfies with Singapore and North Korea behind them.

The giggling and crackling finally made its way to the men's ears. A light shuffle was heard from the bed. Indonesia and Malaysia turned around in sync to see what was happening.

Singapore cuddled against North Korea and unconsciously pet his hair. Malaysia's jaw dropped while Indonesia started to record the moment. She isn't used to seeing two of her male friends being all touchy-feely on each other. It was all too abnormal for two dudes to act more than dudes. North Korea shifted even closer to the other man, making Malaysia feel embarrassed for the both of them.

The two huddled together and watched intensely as they recorded the two men cuddling in bed.

Their fun went to an end as Singapore slowly opened his eyes, then immediately widened them as he pushed North Korea away with a squeal. North Korea didn't wake up, but he did squirm on the bed a bit. Probably wanting to cuddle something, Malaysia thought. The two girls burst out laughing as Singapore's face flushed a bright red.

"S-SHUT UP!" He barked. In his rage, he grabbed his glasses and stormed out of the room. Indonesia put a hand to her mouth and gave a sinister laughter.

"Fufu, this is good blackmail material." Indonesia chuckled. The two girls high fived each other while North Korea stirred awake, looking at the girls in front of him with a confused gaze.

"W….hat?" North Korea squinted. "What are you doing?"

"Nothing!" They both squeaked. Indonesia pushed her phone into Malaysia's hands. "I gotta go find my spare clothes- bye!"

Malaysia sent Indonesia a death glare as the elder ran out of the room. She let out an irritated groan as North Korea stretched out his arms and yawned. Malaysia sat on the floor while watching North Korea. She set Indonesia's phone on the floor and sat still.

They sat in silence for a minute before North Korea decided to speak up.

"Did something happen while I was asleep?" He asked, his voice wavering from exhaustion.

"Ah… no?" Malaysia's voice went on a high note at the end. She let out a nervous laugh and let her head fall gently to the side of the bedpost. She closed her eyes and smiled. "I was making fun of Jing Yi with Amita. That's all,"

He didn't respond. Malaysia was worried if she said something wrong, so she opened her eyes to look up at North Korea on the bed. Her heart stopped because North Korea was only a couple centimeters in front of her.

North Korea had leaned forward from the bed to look at Malaysia closely. They were nose to nose with each other. Malaysia's ears perked up and her lip formed into a line as North Korea nonchalantly stared into her eyes. He tilted his head while Malaysia's face started to flush red.

"So that's all?" His eyes were half-lidded and his hand gripped onto the edge of the bedpost. She could almost feel his breath touching her lips. Maybe it was just her, but North Korea was in leaning closer to her.

Malaysia gulped as her eyes went wider. But then, her expression softened as she leaned in closer to him. She just wanted to be even more closer to him.

"Get a room." Singapore's voice had smacked both of them back into reality. Malaysia realized how embarrassing this situation was and backed away quickly. North Korea dropped his head down, abashed and quiet.

"You don't have to say it like that." Malaysia hissed. She looked at North Korea through the corner of her eye but his face was unreadable. Then, she turned to Singapore with a menacing glare. "I have blackmail on you. So you better watch out,"

Singapore rolled his eyes. "Get dressed already,"

He walked out of the room, not even noticing the silent tension going on in the room. Malaysia peered over at North Korea and gave him a nervous smile.

"I-i'll wash up first…"

North Korea turned his head towards her. He was biting his lip and avoiding her gaze by looking down. Cute, she thought to herself.

"Alright…" He responded. North Korea decided to look at her. But the moment their eyes met, they both turned away from each other.

Both of them were high on anxiety. Malaysia rushed out of the room and slammed the door behind her. She clutched the place near her chest, closest to her heart. It was beating too fast. She went to the bathroom to brush her teeth, but she laid her head in her hands and muffled her silent screams, kicking the carpet on the floor vigorously.

Meanwhile, North Korea had also made his screeches quiet by burying his face into a nearby pillow.

When everyone ate breakfast together, Malaysia and North Korea had both pretended that their moment had never even happened. Everything has to be normal again, Malaysia thought to herself. But she still couldn't bring herself to look into North Korea's eyes.

Indonesia noticed the tension, but Malaysia's glare kept her from saying anything about it. Singapore was grumbling to himself, since he ran out of coffee beans for his regular caffeine intake.

"... So- what do you think about the weather?" Indonesia asked. She just wanted to break the tension, and Malaysia appreciates her for that.

"It's cold and dark. England is always fucking gloomy,"

It was North Korea who answered her question. With no hesitation, everyone in the room started laughing. Maybe it was because it was such an expected and unexpected answer, everyone couldn't help but crack up. Singapore even spluttered out some coffee, and had a napkin over his mouth. Indonesia was banging the table with her fist. Malaysia dropped her spoon and clutched her stomach.

When Malaysia finally came to her senses, she noticed how the tension eased a bit. She looked back at North Korea, who gave her a small smile in return. It felt good.

Everyone finished eating, and Indonesia asked what time it was. Singapore checked his phone and blinked once. Then he widened his eyes, "It's… almost 9:45. We're gonna be late." The meetings started at around ten, depending on how long it takes for the nations to stop fighting and get in their seats.

Everyone turned to Singapore, who had a worried look on his face. Then he inhaled very deeply, then exhaled as loud as he could. "According to my calculations, we have to be at the train station in about ten minutes, then run to the meeting building in about five minutes so we can make it on time. We can't take a cab, there aren't many over here in this area of London. Any questions?"

"Yes. You spoke too much and I honestly blanked out on every word you said. Could you repeat that?" Malaysia asked him. Singapore only groaned at her before pointing towards the door.

"Hurry up! We need to go!" He shouted, ushering everyone out the door. Suddenly, he started running on the streets. They all knew he was going to the train station, so they just followed him. Malaysia was behind since she was overweight… curse her.

Her eyes streaked with color as she dashed towards the train station. A baby in a stroller, a couple on the sidewalk holding hands. It was if her world opened up. But it was more likely that she learned to open her eyes to her surroundings. It made her appreciate how life is always flourishing and evolving.

As the group went to the train stop, Malaysia sat on a nearby bench to cool down. Well, at least she burnt off some calories she thought. She glanced over at Singapore, who began to laugh eerily.

"I misread the time. The train won't come right away, but in five minutes." He said. He sheepishly rubbed the back of his head with his hand. "Don't get mad at mad."

Singapore said this as the group collectively stared at him through their tired, sunken eyes. He gulped as he adjusted his glasses.

"O-oh! I found a nearby fountain!" He salutes at them. "I don't want to deal with any of you, so I'm going to get some water now! Bye bye!" Singapore dashed off to the other side of the station. Malaysia stopped growling and sighed in exasperation. Indonesia decided to sit next to her and laughed a bit.

"He's really fun to tease! Almost as much as you," Indonesia nudged Malaysia with her own elbow. Malaysia looked at her with half-lidded eyes, but said nothing. Her silence indicated that she was too tired to deal with her at the moment.

North Korea sat on the floor next to the bench, since the girls took up most of the space. He looked up at them. "Damia, wake up. If you haven't trained your body to wake up when an enemy strikes, then don't sleep at all."

" _Hwan-chu_ , you okay?" Indonesia winced back at his words.

"I am fine." North Korea stated. He laid his head against the bench's side. "I'll just lay here for a bit."

Indonesia sighed. "I'll go to Jing Yi. I actually want to get some water too." She got up and left. The area was filled with a quaint silence, which was broken off by the sound of snickers.

Malaysia opened one eye to see a couple of men peering at her. She scrunched her face up in disgust and sighed. She didn't want to deal with a couple of these men right now. She looked down from the bench to see North Korea sleeping. This won't be pretty.

One of the men staggered towards her with a toothy grin on his face. Malaysia pretended to ignore him while he whistled at her.

"You've got a nice set of assets if I do say so myself." He sneered, his friends laughing in the background. Malaysia glared at the man. But he didn't back away.

"I have… a what?" Malaysia asked.

"You speak English? Not bad for a foreigner!" Malaysia winced and turned her head. He started to come closer to her. "It's not nice to ignore someone ya know?"

Malaysia huffed. "It's not nice to talk to someone with a stinky breath like yours."

"Hey, hey now. I'm just trying to be your friend here. Now why don't you come with me." He grabbed her wrist as she widened her eyes. She was ready to throw a punch at him until someone beat her to it. The men in the back stopped laughing as their friend fell to the ground.

North Korea stood in front of Malaysia protectively with a venomous glare their way. Malaysia gulped as his gaze seemed to have the man fixed in his place.

"W-what was that for?" He yelped. North Korea responded by holding Malaysia close to him, her head laying on his broad chest. She wondered if she was the damsel in distress in some cliche otome game. She didn't know what to think of that.

North Korea lifted his gaze up and sneered at him with a hateful glare. "Fuck off already. She doesn't want to be manhandled by some toothless rat."

The stranger was of course offended, but backed off in the end. He didn't have a comeback and he would have looked even more pathetic if he had tried to come up with one. He motioned his friends to move away and they left without a word.

He held her in his arms for only a couple seconds, but it felt like centuries to her. After the men had gone, North Korea immediately let go of her and held a bashful demeanor.

"Sorry for uh- touching you without permission. I know you can handle yourself," He put his hand on the nape of his neck and averted his gaze towards the ground. "I overheard them while I was lying down, but I decided to stay back because you could've handled the situation better than I would have. But he grabbed you and… I just got so angry." He closed his eyes for a moment, before looking back at her with a soft gaze. "You don't deserve to be treated like that. Heh, they don't know how to keep it in their pants, do they?"

Malaysia widened her eyes, but smiled afterwards. She touched his hand and gave him a reassuring nod.

"It's okay, la. You have good intentions! Just let me punch them a few times before you step in." She chuckled. To her surprise, he clutched her hand and patted it with his other hand. His laughter made Malaysia want to pinch his cheeks.

"I'll be sure to do that." North Korea then looked off to the side and crossed his arm. "Also about this morning- I was really tired. I wasn't really thinking and I don't even know what I was doing. Can we forget about that?"

 _'How can I forget about that?'_ Malaysia thought. To her, it seemed like he wanted to kiss her in the morning. Maybe she was wrong. Or maybe she didn't want to admit the possibility that he liked her that way. Because if he did, then what happens next?

Two can play that game. She smiled and patted North Korea's back, surpising the other.

"Don't worry about that! Even I had no clue what you were doing. _It's alright, I will forget all of it._ " Malaysia couldn't hide the slip up in her voice. It sounded a tad diappointed. North Korea gave her a concerned look before smiling nervously.

"Thank you." He said. He just couldn't elaborate on anything else at the moment.

Her eyes fell towards his hand, a hand that was just wanting to be grabbed. Malaysia tried to resist the temptation to hold it because she was a little mad at him. But with North Korea making that adorable awkward expression on his face, how could she not?

She slowly inched her hand towards his, but was sadly interrupted.

"How cute," Singapore awed. They both jolt alarmed as they turn around to see Singapore and Indonesia with a smug look. Malaysia wanted to flip them off but North Korea was there, with a content look on his face. They can't ruin this for her.

"He is cute. Cuter than the two of you combined," Malaysia stuck out her tongue.

Singapore only shrugged at the remark. However Indonesia- she was visibly offended. She put a hand on her chest and raised an eyebrow at Malaysia. "Wait… really? How could you… did I raise you to be like this?"

"You're not that much older than me. I raised myself," Malaysia sighed.

"H-how dare you…"

North Korea titled his head. "Um? Am I missing something here?"

"Trust me," Singapore stood at his side, shaking his head visibly. "You're not missing much. Indonesia is just being needy."

"I'm not needy!"

Malaysia then heard the familiar ring of the train. She turned around only to find the doors of the train had just closed. She widened her eyes as the train started to move on without them.

"GUYS!" She pointed at the bus with a look of horror. Indonesia stopped babbling and stared at the train that was moving. The rest of the team silently stared as the train went on without them. It was honestly depressing to look at.

After a minute of silence passed by, Indonesia turned to North Korea with a blank stare. "Ah, want to get some coffee?"

"... Alright."

"Hey, hey, wait a minute. We need to get to the meeting." Singapore pointed at his watch. "If we get on a cab then we can make it to the buildin-"

"I can go for some coffee." Malaysia nodded, ignoring Singapore.

"Well that's decided." Indonesia put a hand under her chin and nodded. "We'll come back to the meeting after lunch so England won't yell at us." She looked at Singapore with a soft smile. "Do you want your coffee black?"

"... That would be nice."

* * *

After getting food, walking around town, eating more food, they finally went back to the meeting. Malaysia thought it was nice hanging out with everyone instead of listening to America taking over the meeting with his loud, annoying voice. She liked this relaxation. It might get too repetitive but she liked everything during that moment in time. She liked making fun of Singapore. She liked play-fighting with Indonesia. She liked peering over her shoulder to see North Korea keep up a conversation with everyone. She liked him most of all.

The only downside of their ditching was going back to the meeting.

Inside, they all met with an angry Germany and England.

Germany was scolding them for missing the meeting and getting off schedule. England was pissed because they ditched a meeting in his own country. While North Korea and Indonesia were unphased by them, Malaysia and Singapore felt squeamish. The both of them still feel uncomfortable thinking about the old days when England acted awful towards them. He's fine nowadays, but the lingering tension between them all hasn't changed.

"Do you understand what problems you caused?" England asked, almost on the verge of yelling. "You're making me look bad!"

"Ah..." Singapore whistled, averting in gaze elsewhere. "Yelling won't change the past. I thought I said don't come fifty feet near me, old fart."

"I didn't raise you like this!" He ran his hand through his hair and muttered curse words under his breath. Malaysia could see the dark circles under his eyes and remembered his insomnia. She almost felt bad for him. Almost.

"Hey, hey. Hey England," The Englishman looked towards North Korea. "Shut the fuck up. No one even likes these meetings." England was about to speak up again but Germany beat him to it.

"England! Korea! I beseech the both of you to keep matters civil. We don't have all day to criticize others, even if there's a room full of countries to do it." Germany's words got through to England. He puffed his cheeks and grumbled quietly. Germany turned towards the four. "I apologize for the brashness. Romano drained all the coffee outside the window, so everyone has been restless."

Malaysia really was thankful that they skipped the meeting for coffee. Singapore was unbearable without it. She makes his black coffee really strong because of this fact.

Germany gave them notes from the meeting and said to go back into the room. The four waltz in there, pretending they were movie stars on a red carpet. Indonesia thought it was a nice idea to buy them all sunglasses, which added to the effect.

America was the first to approach them, with his omnipotent presence suffocating the room as usual.

"What's up with the glasses?" He laughed. North Korea looked at him for a moment and _smiled_.

"We are using the sunglasses Indonesia pushed onto us out of obligement." He said. Malaysia's jaw dropped as she saw North Korea nonchalantly walk off to his seat, having a conversation with Cuba.

This seemed to catch Indonesia's attention as she started to giggle. She lifted her hand to cover her mouth. Singapore wasn't paying attention as he was on his phone. Malaysia couldn't stop staring at North Korea.

He was in a good mood. Never would she have imagined that North Korea would willingly talk to America without any snark. Or even smile at him. She supposed that it wasn't on purpose, but maybe his smile just came naturally. Those sweet, gentle smiles she longs for everyday.

"Stop overanalyzing." Singapore bumps his elbow into her ribs and Malaysia snaps back into reality. The meeting had just started and they both sat next to each other. Indonesia was all the way at the end of the table with North Korea was across from them.

He gave them a little wave of acknowledgement before writing down the notes for the meeting. Malaysia squeaked and pursed her lips into a smile. She turned to Singapore, who raised an eyebrow at her.

The entire meeting consisted of Malaysia staring at North Korea while Singapore silently judged her. The entire time, Malaysia was internally screaming while Singapore sat back and enjoyed the scene before him. Malaysia was ready to full on fight Singapore for thinking about how funny this situation was.

At the end of the meeting, Singapore had a red hand mark on his cheek. He nonchalantly searched through apps on his phone while North Korea stood next to him, wide eyed.

"How did you get that?" North Korea asked, pointing at Singapore's new slap mark.

Malaysia gulped as soon as Singapore made eye contact with her. He gestured towards her, "That is why. She can't take a joke,"

"... Do you wanna fight?" Malaysia starting cracking her knuckles. She lightly punched Singapore on the shoulder in a childish manner.

North Korea squinted at them in confusion while Indonesia chuckled at them. "Both of you are so stupid," She said.

"I wish I understood what's going on." North Korea sighed.

After the meeting, they all decided to go their separate ways. Malaysia spent the rest of the day at the mall. Although crowded places aren't really her thing, she enjoyed the sales after Christmas and New Year.

She had bought a bunch of pots and pans she could use for cooking. She already used some stuff she got from Christmas to help her with her cooking. Like Singapore's stupid, ironic knife and North Korea's cute coasters. She had difficulty using the pressure cooker because it had buttons she didn't know how to use. Stupid advanced technology, giving her a hard time.

Malaysia was hauling a bunch of bags on her arms while she walked to her temporary home. She was tired, but kept moving forward. But her tiredness went away as soon as she saw North Korea.

He came out of his own home's door and saw her as well. He called out for her as he started walking towards Malaysia.

"Do you need help with those? It looks like you're struggling a bit." North Korea said.

"Yeah... I am pretty weak. Maybe I should start lifting weights," She said eerily. Malaysia was pretty embarrassed by the fact that she can't carry a couple of pots and pans. And this was the second time he had to help her. But when North Korea's fingertips made contact with her own, she felt like it was worth it.

Malaysia handed him the other half of her bags and they walked across the street to her own home. How convenient was it for them to be so close together? Malaysia felt like she was on cloud nine.

She opened the door and let North Korea inside.

"Are you having fun?" Malaysia asked suddenly.

"Honestly, I am." He answered, setting down her bags on her kitchen countertops. He turned to face her. "I think I can even consider them close allies."

"What about friends?" Malaysia questioned. North Korea bit his lip and stared off to the side.

"I… I don't know. I don't want to assume such a big thing. I just don't want to get disappointed in the end." He confessed. "I think we're friends. But there's a small part of me that believes they don't feel the same."

"They like you. Of course they consider themselves as your friends. We're friends, right?"

"Of course." He nodded, crossing his arms. "Unless you say otherwise-"

"Hwan Soo. You're important to me. That's what matters," She smiled at him, but he only frowned. Malaysia couldn't describe it, but something about his expression was odd. He stared at her for a while- looking a bit hurt- but she didn't know why. "What's wrong?"

He snapped out his daze and blushed. "It's nothing serious. Anyways, I need to go. I have to prepare dinner."

"I could come over and help." She said. Malaysia took a step closer to him, but his eyes widened and he flinched. He wasn't scared or anything, just awkward. What else could be interpreted by his sudden red cheeks?

North Korea tensed up again and looked away. "It's alright."

Something felt strange. He was getting nervous and timid, which was weird to her. Just moments ago, North Korea was calm and collected. Maybe a sudden thought struck him in the head and he couldn't stop thinking about it. What could possibly be going through his mind? Was the thought about her? She wouldn't know.

He left her house, making her question what could possibly be wrong with him.

Meanwhile back at his house, he put his hands over his face and sighed loudly.

 _'I can't keep pulling this off.'_ He thought to himself.

He was satisfied with the way things were. He was fine with being her friend and suppressing any feelings he had for her. But as soon as she said those words, he just couldn't stop thinking about them. It really struck a nerve inside of him.

Something inside of him churned. He hated this feeling. Knowing that Malaysia and him would only stay as friends while he painfully deals with his internalized problems. He didn't want the others to know. But they probably did know, and that thought scared him. What if they were mocking him?

He hits his head as he thinks, no they wouldn't do that. They aren't cruel enough to hurt someone. Even if he's an outsider in their circle of friends, he liked pretending that he was wanted there.

North Korea hugs himself as he thinks about Malaysia. Her gentle smile, sudden outbursts, and kind hearted personality makes his heart flutter. He feels better around her, but falls apart if she's not there. North Korea realized he's becoming too dependent, too attached to her. He reached a breaking point after coming to terms with all of this. It finally hit him that he wanted to become something more with Malaysia.

That scared him more than anything he could ever think of.


	17. The Breaking Point

**I'll be busy the next two weeks with a football game and a homecoming dance so I probably won't upload the next chapter until early to mid November. I hope some of my fans are still here- I think all of them left lol. I took too long to update this, I can see why. I realy appreciate all the reviews I see on here- it helps me continue this story. Don't worry, we're almost done.**

 **Also I tried to give the characters relationships outside of Malaysia/North Korea and outside of the usual four that hang out. I wanted there to be more empathise on different types of friendships and how some side characters feel about the main couple. And I finally feel like we hit the sweet spot in this story that everyone was craving.**

 **Anyways thank you to everyone that continued reading this ;;;;**

* * *

Singapore was really concerned when North Korea called him up for lunch on his day off.

Usually they would only hang out if Malaysia and Indonesia were there with him. He liked North Korea, a bit more than he would like to admit. But he didn't know if North Korea was okay with him. So it was really quite a shock to see North Korea ask if they can talk over at a restaurant- _alone_.

Singapore walks in the restaurant moments later, and greets North Korea at the table. North Korea tells him to sit across him and that's what he did. It was awkward, to say at the very least. It's not a good idea to leave two introverts at a table by themselves.

Glancing up from his menu, Singapore could see North Korea biting his lip. He could tell he was nervous. Singapore is trying desperately to read his signals because it just doesn't make any sense. North Korea is not a confrontational type of person. Did Singapore do something wrong? Or did North Korea just want to hang out casually? He could only infer that North Korea wanted to say something but was too awkward to do it.

They both order the same thing; two small sandwiches with a side of salad. It was the cheapest thing on the menu. And the two of them are very, very cheap.

"So why did you want to hang out with me?" Singapore asked, giving him a small smile to mean no harm. "I couldn't possibly be the first person you'd ask to go to lunch with."

North Korea twiddled his fingers together shyly, before coming back with a response. "Are you… are you experienced in love?"

The question was so baffling, Singapore knocked his water off the table. This causes the both of them to jump up in their seats, and Singapore calls a server over. The server cleaned up the mess beside the two of them as Singapore awkwardly readjusted himself.

"W-well… a little bit." Singapore answered. He let out a nervous laugh, "You should have asked a playboy for some love advice instead of me, haha." North Korea just glanced to his side and nodded bashfully. Singapore didn't like where this was going.

"I just… I just wanted to ask you how to forget about love." North Korea tightened his lip before looking back at him. "I understand you and Malaysia aren't… together. And the feelings between the two of you are gone… probably."

" _Of course they're gone!_ " Singapore shouted. The server who cleaned up the mess went away to come back with their food. She put down the sandwiches and salads as Singapore tried to recollect himself. "We're just friends. Trust me on this one. If I still liked her, I'd probably be incredibly awkward around her."

North Korea gave out a sigh of relief. He took a bite out of his sandwich, swallowed it, then returned back to the conversation. "Well, good. I just wanted to ask how… how you stopped liking her."

Singapore was rather surprised at this question. He was assuming that North Korea would ask how they got together, which was through England by the way. He stopped eating to answer North Korea's question.

"It just faded away, honestly. The time we spent together made us like each other. I was sad when we separated, but I don't care anymore. She's a good friend of mine. I think the romantic feelings just turned platonic." Singapore really wanted to make it clear that he is not North Korea's love rival and that Malaysia was free to pursue. He cared about the two of them too much to get involved like that.

North Korea said a small 'oh' and continued eating silently. Singapore felt like he didn't give him a satisfactory answer. They finished their food quickly and split the bill, both hating the fact that they have to pay for food.

Both of them are walking aimlessly on the sidewalk when North Korea tugged onto Singapore's sleeve. Singapore turned to him as the other man bit his lip bashfully.

"What's wrong?" Singapore asked. North Korea took his hand away from Singapore and took in a quick deep breath before speaking.

"I… like Damia more than a friend." He confessed. "I just want to stay friends because there's no way she'd like me back. But I can't stop … feelings stuff for her. So I wanted to know how you two stayed good friends."

Singapore understood him well enough. "Maybe you should stay away from her a little bit to recollect your thoughts. Or just tell her how you feel-" North Korea vigorously shook in head, which made Singapore laugh. "Okay, fine."

It really wasn't his place to tell him about Malaysia's feelings. But North Korea looked so lost that he felt like he had give him some hope. Singapore gave him a reassuring smile. "You need to give yourself more credit. Damia really cares about you. It's possible she likes you already."

North Korea snorted, which made Singapore's heart flutter just a tiny bit. "I highly doubt it, but thanks for the encouragement." Then he averted his eyes to the ground. "You won't… tell anyone about this, right? I've been trying to hide my feelings for her for a very long time. I felt like I could trust you, for some reason. Is that weird?"

Singapore felt more happy than he should have. "Of course not. I'd like to be closer with you in the future. But let's not hang out at places we have to pay for. Spending money is such a hassle."

"I agree," North Korea said. His smile looked a bit melancholy. "Thank you for listening and answering to my demands. It's almost as if we're friends,"

"We are friends," Singapore said, feeling embarrassed for saying it. He doesn't like talking about emotions, but it just felt right by doing so with North Korea. "I'm just going to clarify that so you don't get insecure about it later."

They only started to get acquainted but Singapore could just tell that North Korea wasn't a bad person. He originally wanted to talk to him to make fun of Malaysia's feelings over him, but he actually started to like North Korea. Maybe he should just be honest with him.

Singapore laughed to himself, making North Korea alarmed. Singapore patted his shoulder reassuringly. "You're really sweet sometimes. I always assumed the worst of you, but I was wrong. You're down to earth and caring, which is a nice surprise." He softly smiles at him. "You're my friend and that's settled."

It was embarrassing to admit all of that, but the expression on North Korea's face was all worth it. His eyes growing big as saucers and his cheeks glowing red- it was the cutest thing he'd seen in decades.

North Korea seemed a bit surprised by his words, but he needed to hear it. "T-thanks." He twiddled his fingers together nervously, looking down at his hands. "We never talk one on one before, so I unsure if you liked me all that much. I get it now." He had a small smile on his face.

Singapore didn't know why he was blushing, but he didn't want to question it. He then bid North Korea farewell and they part ways.

Singapore was glad that they were officially friends. He's a bit uptight and pompous, so it's hard for him to be relaxed around people. It's good that North Korea understands this and tries to be blunt with him- to make sure Singapore can talk to him thoroughly. He now gets why Malaysia likes him so much. He wonders, just a little bit, he wonders what would have happened if he was the one that reached out to North Korea first. Maybe things would have turned out differently and he would have been closer to him.

He sighs, and turns to the opposite direction. Singapore needs a girl talk with Indonesia later. Nothing good comes out of love triangles anyway.

Meanwhile, North Korea was walking home. He was really glad Singapore took the time to talk with him over lunch. He knows now that people care about him and it finally got through to him. He still doesn't know what to do about his feelings on Malaysia.

 _'I think it's best if I ignore her for a bit, like what he said. I need to think.'_ He thought. It also kind of hurt to see her, having to restrain his instincts from engulfing her in hugs and kisses. The thought of all that affection made him want to punch himself.

 _"Oh hey!"_

He turned around to see Malaysia, Indonesia, and a girl he recognized as the Philippines. It turned out to be Indonesia calling him over. She ran over to him and it looked like she was about to hug him, but she patted him on the head instead.

"Hi," He greeted back. He looked at Malaysia, but averted his gaze. His heart was beating faster than it normally did. North Korea was about to look at Philippines, but remembered he didn't know her that well. So he stuck to staring at the floor.

"We were just dropping off Damia! _You could walk her home,_ " Indonesia whispered the last part near his ear, nudging him with her elbow. North Korea gulped.

That would be nice. Incredibly nice. But he knew that if he spent time with Malaysia, he wouldn't be able to act normally. He would blush, stutter, or avoid her gaze if they talked. That's because he is a lovestruck idiot that can't control himself.

Malaysia gave him an adorable puppy eyed look, as if she was waiting for him to talk her home. As a gentleman and friend, he would do that. But as someone in love with her, he just wanted to get as far away as possible.

"I'm actually in a hurry- I left some important documents at home that I need for a meeting." North Korea said. Before anyone could say anything, he ran through the group and disappeared in the distance.

Philippines turned to Malaysia. "That guy is kind of strange."

Malaysia was quiet for a moment, but shook her head. "I think he's just a bit stressed today. But his strangeness is really cute."

He is usually quiet about it, but he always jumps at the chance to hang out with Malaysia. She wonders why he's avoiding her. Maybe he just wanted to be left alone for today, Malaysia figured. Sometimes she needed alone time too.

The next morning was another world meeting. Malaysia thought this was a good chance to surprise North Korea with another breakfast dish. She cackled at the thought of North Korea complimenting her and eating everything she made. It always made the two of them very happy.

She knocked on North Korea's door. Instead of it being swung open instantly, it was only a small opening. North Korea held the door handle tightly while Malaysia stared at him in confusion.

"I um- I made you something!" Malaysia said, holding out the plastic container in front of her. She gave him a big smile. "I made this especially for you! I'm trying out a new recipe for nasi lemak!"

Surprisingly, North Korea looked to his side and formed his mouth into a small line. He averted his gaze towards the side.

"N-no thank you.. I already ate earlier." He said in a quiet voice.

He's not… _hungry?_ This never happened before. "Well I guess you can eat it later!" She tried to push it to him but he shook his head furiously.

"No I'm okay. I'll be heading to the meeting alone, I feel a bit sick today." He told her.

His explanation seemed off, but Malaysia ignored it's sketchy undertones. She believed in him. "Sure thing. Let me know if you need any medicine for your sickness. I can always steal some tiger balm from China's drawer," She said, snickering to herself.

For some reason, North Korea didn't laugh. She stopped chuckling and lowered her shoulders. What was wrong with him?

"Okay. See you later," And with that, he shut the door.

Malaysia went to the meeting, eating her nasi lemak in frustration. He should be the one eating her food. He should be the one gaining weight, not her! Not only that, but he didn't want to hang out with her. She then sighed, putting down the empty container that was once full with food.

She shouldn't be mad. North Korea is a little sick- he must not be feeling himself. Malaysia should be a bit more patient with him.

Her thoughts were interrupted when she saw North Korea stroll into the room. She waved at him, but he turned away. Malaysia scoffed as she decided to work on her notes to take her mind off of things. He's acting really weird today, she thought.

South Korea went over to North Korea to talk, which North Korea responded with a smile. Malaysia raised an eyebrow, but pretended to write meeting notes while she stared at them. Singapore also stopped by, and North Korea was talking to him normally as well. That's so suspicious.

After the meeting, she walked down the hallway to go home. But stopped in her tracks when she saw North Korea talking with Indonesia and Singapore by a vending machine. They were all cracking jokes and laughing. Malaysia felt incredibly excluded, but felt like she would make things awkward if she stepped in. So she left, feeling dejected.

The next day she asked North Korea again to walk with her. He declined once more. It pained her heart when she saw him in the meeting room. Because whenever she would make eye contact with him and smile, he would only turn away from her.

She thought his sudden attitude was just a one time thing. It got worse.

When she would say hi to him in the mornings, North Korea would avoid her. He would act fine around everyone else, making monotone jokes with others. But the only one he truly changed around was her. Malaysia thought this was so frustrating. So she decided to take matters into her own hands by confronting the man himself.

She hid behind the large garbage can outside his house, determined to talk to him as soon as he came out. A few short moments later, North Korea walked out of his house with a trash bag in his hand. As he made a turn, she blocked his path by hopping out in front of him. A sneak attack was always the best option to make someone talk.

" _Selmat pagi_!" North Korea jumped up in surprise, tightening his grip on the trash bag he was holding. Malaysia hovered over him with a seemingly innocent smile. "That means ' _good morning'_ in my language. So good morning!"

"Oh." North Korea took a step back from the garbage bin and looked back at her. "Good morning-?"

Things went quiet for a moment as Malaysia waited patiently for him to start up a conversation. He didn't. So she sighed and smiled even bigger than before. She put her hands behind her back and gave him an almost intimidating stare. "What are you doing right now?"

"Just…. taking out the trash." He said. He dropped his trash bag into the bin and glanced back at the ground, avoiding her gaze.

She puffed her cheeks up in annoyance. She crossed her arms, "Why do you only act weird around me?"

North Korea snapped back at her with wide eyes. "Excuse me?"

"Yeah. You've been avoiding me! Which is hard, considering the fact that we're neighbors." She leaned in closer to him and peered up into his golden eyes. "All is forgiven if you tell me what's wrong now."

He tightened his mouth into a thin line and looked at the side with a hardened stare. "Nothing's wrong."

She scoffed and furrowed her eyebrows. She felt irritated that he was cautious over her. As if she had done something wrong. It's a different story if she hurt him in any sort of way, but nothing happened. North Korea is blatantly avoiding her. More than anything, this doesn't make her angry. It just makes her sad.

Realizing none of this was going nowhere, she eased her stiffness and relaxed. Malaysia tilted her head, "Do you want to go to the meeting together?"

"Oh um-" He coughed before speaking again. "I have something to do so you can go ahead."

"I'll wait for you."

"No, really. I'll be late for the meeting because I have to… to…" North Korea scrunched his face up, as if he was trying to think of something. His mouth made an 'o' shape as he finally found an idea. "I have to finish up paperwork from last week!"

Malaysia gave him a deadpan stare. "That was a shitty lie."

He sighed. "I know," Then realizing what he said, he crossed his arms and blushed furiously. "I-i just mean that I want to go to the meeting alone today."

"Just like yesterday, or the day before that?" Malaysia asked. Then her tone became a bit somber. "Why are you acting like you don't want me around?"

North Korea's shoulders tensed up. He then gave her one of the saddest gazes she's ever seen from him. "It's not… it's not like that." He sighed and turned around. "It's just that I think you're the lo-" He stops himself abruptly, feeling embarrassed about what he was going to say. North Korea looks at his front door. "I'm going to call in sick for the day."

Before Malaysia could say anything, he ran into the house and shut the door. She thought of banging on the door, yelling at him, or even sneaking through his window. But right now she just felt helpless.

Maybe it was just her fault he was awkward around her. She shouldn't have prodded on him so much. Even though he's stubborn and hard to get through to- he's a bit fragile, and a bit broken. Sharp pains kept shooting through her heart because she doesn't know what she did wrong to make him be like that around her.

At the meeting, Malaysia lazily took notes and was kept in a daze. The Philippines tried to poke fun at her but Indonesia put a hand her shoulder, refraining her from doing so. Only she gets to do those things to her.

Her head was laid on the table during a break when Indonesia finally walked up to her. "What's wrong, dumb slut?"

"Don't call me that." Malaysia groaned. She weakly slapped Indonesia's arm. "You're the stupid tramp."

She only laughed at this. "At least you can still fight back against me. What's wrong with you?" Indonesia leaned in closer to Malaysia's face with a softer smile than before. "Did Jing Yi beat you in Mario Kart or something?"

"... Take me out for coffee and then we'll talk." Malaysia said.

"Got it!" Indonesia gave her a wink. "Don't worry, I'm strong enough to carry you bridal style."

"Just hurry up, you weirdo." Malaysia said in a condescending tone. But she had the slightest smile on her face when she said this.

It was pretty weird to see Indonesia dragging Malaysia's body out of the door, onto the streets, and into a nearby cafe. But it was manageable.

Malaysia sipped her slightly creamy coffee and faced Indonesia, who was busy putting in as many sugar packets as possible in her own drink. "You could've asked for condensed milk." She said.

"Yeah? Well I'm too lazy right now." Indonesia threw the packet she was using onto the tables and sipped her extremely sweet coffee. "That's not important. What's on your mind? Big sister Amita will help!" Indonesia gave her another wink and Malaysia gave her a dead stare. Indonesia laughed, "Seriously? You're too tired to give me an answer? You stayed up all night watching cat videos, didn't you?"

"No. I'm not physically exhausted. Just…. Emotionally drained." Malaysia confessed.

"... Wow. That sounded a bit too emo for my tastes." Indonesia said.

"Hey! I'm being honest. You noticed it too, right? Hwan Soo has been avoiding me like the plague. But he's been okay around everyone else! I can't believe it!" Malaysia slammed her fists on the table while Indonesia put her hands up in defense.

Indonesia let out a nervous laugh. "Okay tiger lady, you need to calm down." After a few breaths, Malaysia finally settled down. Indonesia leans in closer to her. "Did you ask him about it? Because what I hate most is when protagonists in shows or books don't say anything and let misunderstandings happen. You're not that dumb, right?"

Malaysia scoffed and crossed her arms. "I'm not that dumb. Of course I asked him. I did it this morning. But he ran into his house after coughing up lies like 'nothing's wrong' and such."

The other girl hummed a bit before tilting her head to the side. "Why do you think he's acting weird?"

"I don't know!" Malaysia threw her hands up in the air. "I don't know what I'm doing wrong! But he's scared of me. Or not scared, but just afraid to be around me. And he treats you and Jing Yi just fine. I saw you guys laughing together next to the vending machine after the meeting!"

Indonesia put a hand under her chin into thought. "I did notice him being all strange around you, but I didn't think it bothered you that much. You're so unorganized when it comes to love. You're so cute."

Malaysia blushed and looked down at her coffee drink. "T-thanks… I guess." Indonesia and her were always mocking each other, so it felt weird to be receiving compliments from the other woman. Indonesia noticed her shy responsed and snickered at her friend.

They both finished their drinks and tossed it into the trash. They sat outside the cafe establishment on a small concrete wall. Indonesia, pushing forward for more answers, made Malaysia talk more about her feelings on North Korea.

"I just… I don't really know that much about love." Malaysia confessed. "I mean, I did have a thing with Jing Yi but it only happened because England forced it. It was nice and all, and I was even sad when I broke up with him. But I never liked someone like that on my own," She put a hand on her cheek as her face flushed even more. "And I don't want to ruin our friendship with my weird feelings. I'm worried he'll be awkward about everything."

Then an idea struck her. Malaysia's mouth opened and let out a startling shriek. Indonesia flinched back a bit from the sudden outburst. Malaysia jumped up from her seat on the concrete and began pacing around in circles, thinking.

Indonesia nervously laughed as she saw Malaysia acting like a deranged man. "Damia, what are you doing?" She asked, her voice filled with concern.

"I found out why Hwan Soo is ignoring me!" Malaysia cried out, putting her hands on her face. "I'm just so stupid!"

Indonesia, getting excited, got up from her seat and smiled as she went up to Malaysia. "Did you finally realize it?"

"I did!" Malaysia looked back at her with grief. "He found out about my crush on him! That's why he must feel so bad about me being near him! I just make him uncomfortable."

But instead of agreeing, Indonesia stared back at her with an annoyed look. It was almost as if she was saying 'are you fucking stupid?' with her stare. This surprised Malaysia.

"Are you kidding me? Please tell me you're joking already," Indonesia put her hands on Malaysia's shoulders. "I know I always make fun of you for being stupid but you seriously can't be this retarded…"

Malaysia brushed off her touch and furrowed her eyebrows. "Just think about it! Hwan Soo is scared of the thought of love. He only recently reconciled with his brother but that doesn't mean he's okay with the idea of romantic relationships. I feel like a genius for coming up with this!"

Indonesia shook her head and put her hands on Malaysia's shoulders again. "No, no, no. Listen to me, okay? Just listen. I wasn't going to say anything because I thought it was funny seeing you struggle. But now it's just becoming hopeless. I don't want to see you screwing something up because of your dumbass mindset." She leans in closer, which makes Malaysia feel eery on what she has to say next. "Hwan Soo is actually in lo-"

She gets cut off by the sound of her phone ringing. Indonesia grumbles in annoyance and takes a look at the number. "Oh great. Out of all times my boss decides to call me now. Where was he when I called him three weeks ago?" Indonesia picks up the call, but eyes Malaysia one last time and points at her with two fingers. "You. Stay here. We still need to talk." Indonesia whispered a final time to her before returning to her boss's call.

Feeling a strong urge to see her beloved, Malaysia ran as fast as she could to her house. She would have waited for Indonesia to finish her call, but her boss is a talker. And she's a bit impatient with people. She felt like it was better to just talk to North Korea first.

As if Allah was shining upon her that day, she was walking home when she found North Korea sitting alone in a park. She thought, this must be fate. It was a long distance from where she was standing to where the park was at. Even though she wasn't the best athlete, she ran as fast as she could. She just wanted to talk to him as soon as possible.

Out of breath, Malaysia pants heavily as she walks up North Korea sitting on a park bench. North Korea sees her and carries a dumbfounded expression on his face. It quickly turns into concern when he sees how tired Malaysia is.

"Damia?! What happened?!" North Korea questions. She falls into his arms and he holds her while sitting on the concrete floor. Staring into his eyes, she hesitates telling him something that could potentially ruin their friendship.

Malaysia regains her breath after a minute. But North Korea is still holding her in his arms. Realizing this, he gently pulls her up so she's standing in front of him. He looks towards his side and blushes.

"Are you okay now?" He asked. Malaysia looked at him for a moment before nodding slowly.

Things get awkward fast as both of them are stuck, not knowing what to say. Malaysia is the one to clear up her throat to speak first.

"I want to say I'm sorry. For pressing you on this morning and all that," Malaysia rubbed her arm sheepishly. North Korea looked as if he could fall apart at any moment.

He tilted his head and sighed. "No, no. I'm sorry too. I was rude to you,"

"... Well, even though you were rude, I understand why. I know why you starting acting like that," She said.

North Korea's shoulders tensed up and his lip trembled. "R-really?"

Malaysia felt the atmosphere tense around her. It was almost too suffocating to continue the conversation any further. "Yeah… it's because of the crush, isn't it?"

His eye twitched. "H-how did you find out?" His voice croaked.

It was just too much to bear, hearing his vulnerable voice. Malaysia mustered up the last of her confidence to tell him her findings. "I was talking to Indonesia, and a light bulb went off in my head when I started to add up the details." She took in a deep breath before continuing. "I know how afraid you are of love. It's scary for everyone, but you're the type of person that wouldn't want to go anywhere near it. We're friends, yet you started ignoring me like the plague. That idea of a crush seemed to be the most logical explanation. I get it know," Malaysia let out a small, nervous chuckle. "Heh, you must feel so embarrassed. Don't worry, _I am too._ "

He was really quiet. She was getting really worried.

North Korea looked down at the floor so she couldn't see his expression. But Malaysia noticed his lip quivering, arms shaking, and the short breaths he was taking to keep himself from breaking down on the spot.

"P-please talk to me," Malaysia reached out to touch his shoulder. She shook him lightly as anxiety started to take over her system. She felt tears starting to form in her eyes and she tried to blink them away rapidly. She was really scared of what he would do next.

Suddenly, she heart a quiet laugh. Malaysia realized this was coming from the man himself. It was hoarse and bitter- which scared her to death. Alarmingly, she saw a trail of tears only coming out of his left eye. When he stared back at her, she saw red.

" _Embarrassed?_ Of course I'm fucking embarrassed. I never expected you to ever find out," North Korea took a step back as he wrapped his hands around his arms. He starting laughing as if this was some sort of joke. "Of course you'd be embarrassed. Who would ever love someone like me? I knew it, I knew it, I knew it." He started to repeat it over and over to himself.

She was so appalled, she wouldn't dare say a word. North Korea let out chilling sobs but kept his insane smile with him. "So you came over here to pity me? Over these pathetic feelings? I don't know how someone like you can be so kind, yet be so heartless." He ran a hand through his hair as he rambled some more. "I know I'm unlovable, and weak, and stupid, and dirty. All along I knew you were just being nice, but I just wanted to believe in you. I wanted to believe that you and everyone around me actually cared about me. But it was all some ploy to make yourself feel better, right?"

Something was definitely wrong about the words he was sprouting. It was not what she wanted to hear. This was indefinity, the worst case scenario. Anger started to rise in her as she remembered being afraid to hurt him unintentionally with her feelings. But at the moment, she was thinking about how he wasn't being considerate of her.

"What's wrong with you? You're acting so awful Hwan Soo," Tears finally began to spill but she furrowed her eyebrows in anger. "You think this is some sort of joke? You never believed in our friendship at all?"

"I did. That's what's so horrible about it Damia," He looks heartbroken. "Yet you feel embarrassed over what I feel about you."

"What on Earth are you going on about?!" She took a step forward towards him. "I don't even know how to deal with you sometimes! I try so, so hard. But every step closer I get towards you, you just run away! This conversation doesn't even make sense! You're the one that hurt me!"

He didn't look her way.

His face was flushed bright red with anger, his fists clenched while his pupils dilated. "You don't understand!"

"Have I done something wrong?!" Malaysia almost screeched at the top of her lungs. "Why do you have the right to ignore me whenever you want! I was just so worried about _us_. I was so scared because you were afraid of me. You don't open up and you isolate yourself when things get too hard for you. You're always so scared of getting hurt so you hurt others first. You hurt me!"

"I tried to ignore you because I was afraid of hurting you!" He suddenly confessed. He shook his head a few times. "I'm doing this to not cause you trouble!"

"Just tell me! It's making me so scared and worried, please!" She begged.

"YOU WOULDN'T UNDERSTAND!" He yelled at the top of his lungs, the birds flying away from the trees from the sonic boom of his voice. North Korea walked towards her, his nose inches away from her. His hands shook as he gripped her shoulders in almost painful agony.

She gulped, maintaining her serious demeanor. "What is it?"

"I c-can't hurt you... I don't want you to leave..."

"I won't! I'm not going to-"

"Don't you see-? DON'T YOU GET IT?!" He was full out sobbing now. "I HAD TO IGNORE YOU BECAUSE _**I LOVE YOU TOO MUCH TO HURT YOU!**_ "

Her mind went blank as it couldn't fully register what was happening as North Korea pulled her head into his hands and pressed his lips onto hers.


End file.
